


Somewhere So Bright

by sugarlessgum



Series: Magicians Hallmark Holiday Extravaganza [1]
Category: The Magicians (TV)
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Female Friendship, Found Families, Grand Romantic Gestures, Opposites Attract, background queliot and wickodi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:01:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 22,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21898573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sugarlessgum/pseuds/sugarlessgum
Summary: Alice Quinn is the new owner of On the Same Page, a bookshop desperately trying to stay afloat. Kady Orloff-Diaz has the worst reputation in women’s hockey. When she lands herself in hot water with her latest team, she has no choice but to team up with Alice. It’s animosity-at-first-sight, but they’re each other’s only hope to save the careers that they love — that is, if they can stop fighting long enough to follow through on Margo’s genius plan. Will they have what it takes to solve both their problems? And will something besides PR posturing blossom between them?
Relationships: Kady Orloff-Diaz & Julia Wicker, Kady Orloff-Diaz/Alice Quinn, Margo Hanson & Alice Quinn, Quentin Coldwater & Alice Quinn
Series: Magicians Hallmark Holiday Extravaganza [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1579294
Comments: 13
Kudos: 20
Collections: Magicians Hallmark Holiday Extravaganza





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Based on _Frozen in Love_ for the Magicians Hallmark Holiday Extravaganza.
> 
> Special thanks to @madwomanwithawarehouse for the amazing art for this fic.

Alice took her time opening the shop. It was a ritual she took pleasure in. Making her way through the shelves, straightening anything she might have missed the night before, carefully selecting a new book to page through as she worked. Perhaps Tunisia today, or maybe Cambodia. She brewed some coffee and got to her least favorite part of the morning — opening the registers. She glanced over the sales from the day before, terrible and red. No time to dwell on it now. She opened the door at eight o’clock on the dot and retreated behind the counter with only her coffee and her travel books for company.

Quentin arrived at the shop an hour later, carrying a stack of newspapers for the register. In that time Alice had managed to sell a book on quilting to a young man looking for a Christmas gift for his mother-in-law and entertained a couple who asked about a hundred questions about the cookbook section before walking out empty-handed.

Quentin dropped the newspapers on the counter, pulling Alice out of a vivid description of Sidi Bou Said.

“Another busy morning, I see.” He kissed the top of her head then stole her cup of coffee off the counter.

“Hey! I just made that.”

“Alice, hasn’t anyone taught you the value of sharing?” Alice gave him an unimpressed glare. Quentin grinned at her and brought the mug up to his mouth. He took one sip and immediately passed it back, choking and spluttering.

“Serves you right.”

“How can you consume that much sugar without your heart exploding?”

Alice looked him dead in the eye and gulped down half the cup. Quentin looked away with a shudder.

“Have you looked over the Year-End Reports yet?” he asked. Alice inspected her nails as he pulled them up on the shop’s computer.

“Yes. They’re… not bad.” There was a brief silence before Quentin turned back to her, tense and frowning.

“Alice. I know I wasn’t a business major for long, but pretty much the first thing they teach you is that numbers in red are bad.”

Alice huffed and met his gaze. “I’ve got it under control, Q.”

“Mhm. Is that why you’re meeting Margo over lunch today?”

“We’re having lunch together because we’re friends, Quentin. Believe it or not, we can spend time together without you and Eliot chaperoning.”

Quentin leaned back against the counter and raised an eyebrow. “So it has nothing to do with her running a PR firm?”

“Okay, so she may have offered to help with On the Same Page’s 40th Anniversary.”

Quentin hummed and glanced back over the sales report.

“Have you told Nick about any of this yet?”

“No,” she practically growled. “And neither will you.”

“Alice–”

“No,” she repeated, slamming her mug onto the counter for emphasis. “Nick trusted me to take care of this place. He’s supposed to be enjoying his retirement, not cleaning up my messes for me.”

“Nick has leagues more experience running a business than either of us combined, and he managed to keep On the Same Page afloat for nearly four decades before he retired. I’m sure he at least has some advice or insight.” Quentin paused, giving Alice a curious look. “You know he won’t be angry with you, right?”

“I know.” She didn’t sound very convincing, even to herself.

“Look, I won’t say anything. But promise me you’ll at least think about talking to him.”

Alice turned away and busied herself with collecting her travel books for reshelving.

“I’ll… I’ll think about it,” she said without looking his way.

Quentin took up her place at the register and opened up a newspaper while she returned the books to their proper places.

“Oh, man. She did it again.”

Alice poked her head around the bookshelf to face Quentin. “What? Who did what? Where?”

“Orloff-Diaz, the left wing for the Fillory Goddesses.” Alice stared at him blank-faced. “Hockey.”

She snorted and ducked back behind the shelf. “Sorry I asked.”

“You know, it wouldn’t kill you to get interested in something other than books.”

“Well, sorry if I don’t think people running around with sticks and knocking each other’s teeth in sounds interesting.”

“Skating around. Hockey’s played on skates. On ice.”

Alice made her way back to the register. “I know what hockey is.”

“Do you?”

She pulled the newspaper from Quentin’s hands and refolded it.

“We just got a load of shipment this morning. Why don’t you start unpacking it?”

Quentin made his way to the back with a salute. Alice set the newspaper on top of the pile, sparing a glance at the woman on the front page. Her helmet was off and her dark curls fell over her face as a referee pulled her away from another player. From what Quentin said, it sounded like she did this often.

Completely ridiculous. She would never understand his fascination with the sport.

Kady’s phone blared from somewhere nearby, ripping her out of a dream where her own teeth fell out of her mouth after punching somebody out on the ice. She grappled with the tangle of blankets and pillows until she found it and canceled the call. She didn’t need to check who was calling. She knew by _The Exorcist_ ringtone floating out of the speakers exactly who it was. She blinked the sleep out of her eyes and found a blurry figure standing over her.

“We have a guest room, you know.”

Kady groaned, rolling over and burrowing further into the couch cushions.

“Too far.” She had been exhausted when she got in the night before, the thought of climbing up a flight of stairs too daunting at the time. Instead, she collapsed onto the couch and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. She was wrapped in a blanket that hadn’t been there last night, which means either Julia or Penny had thrown in over her at some point in the night.

She opened one eye to see Penny now, holding a mug in one hand, a single eyebrow raised.

“If you make this a habit, your bad back will end your hockey career before your temper does. Or is that the plan?”

It was entirely too early to deal with his brand of snarky concern. She threw the blanket off of her and stomped towards the kitchen, tossing up an affectionate middle finger as she passed him. She needed food and heart-stopping levels of caffeine before she could begin to process the shit storm of last night’s game.

She was obviously asking too much of the universe because Julia was sitting in the kitchen wearing the _I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed_ face that’s become aggravatingly familiar this season.

“Don’t,” Kady said, silencing her phone again. “It’s too early for a lecture.”

“If you didn’t want a lecture, you should’ve slept at your own place last night.”

“My building was crawling with paparazzi. I wasn’t even halfway down the street before I decided that was a lost cause.” She rooted around the pantry, looking for anything resembling coffee. All she could find were various kinds of tea, which she refused to drink on principle.

“Maybe if you didn’t get into a game-ending fight every week, the paparazzi wouldn’t be such a problem.”

Kady shut the pantry with a groan. There was no getting out of it. She had hoped she would at least be able to wake up before the sermon.

“You can save it, all right? I’ve heard it all before.”

“And apparently it hasn’t done any good. You keep costing us wins. You’ve been ejected from three games this season.”

“It’s not that bad.”

“Not that bad? Kady, you could lose your career over this. No team wants to sign you. I had to practically beg Marina to sign you to the Goddesses after the last team booted you.”

It was definitely too early for a guilt trip. “What happened to you, Jules? Back when we started, the two of us were out there throwing punches together.”

“I grew up, Kady.” Julia stood up from the table and rinsed out her mug, turning her back on Kady. “You should try it some time.”

“And lose my childlike sense of wonder? No thanks.”

Julia turned back, ready to argue, but Kady’s ringtone cut her off.

“Will you please answer that? She’s been calling you all morning. And when you don’t answer, she calls me.”

“I will,” Kady said, slipping the now silenced phone into her pocket. “After coffee.”

She kissed an exasperated Julia on the cheek, stopping to do the same to Penny before venturing out to face the aftermath.

Kady had managed to drive into town and park her car on a quiet street before Marina called again. Getting out of her car, she silenced her phone again and scanned the street for a source of caffeine. Trust Julia to live in the one part of town without a fucking Starbucks in sight. She was about to give up when a lonely little bookshop caught her eye. It would have to do.

She walked into the eerily quiet store, empty except for a short, blonde woman behind the counter. Her nose was stuck in a book and her glasses inched dangerously low.

Kady rang the bell on the counter, which was wholly unnecessary and maybe a little rude, but her back still ached from her night on the couch and her head was starting to throb from caffeine withdrawal. The blonde startled from her reading then offered Kady a tight smile.

“Can I help you?”

“A large coffee, black,” Kady said, already pulling out her wallet.

“We... don’t have coffee.” Kady raised an eyebrow and looked pointedly at the mug sitting beside the register. “Oh, well, that’s mine.”

“Whatever. I’ll take whatever you’ve got.”

“We’ve got books.”

“What, so I have to buy a book first to get coffee?”

“No, you have to buy a book because it’s a bookstore.”

“Fine, here.” Kady marched to the nearest shelf and grabbed the first book her hand handed on. She dropped it on the counter triumphantly. The blonde picked it up tenderly, studying the title.

“ _Witchcraft: Theory and Practice._ ”

“Got a problem with that?”

“Nope.” As she rang up the book, Kady glanced at the newspaper sitting on the counter. **_ORLOFF-DIAZ BOOTED_ **, it proclaimed. Kady rolled her eyes and took the bag the cashier was now holding out to her.

“Now can I get my coffee?”

“We don’t have coffee.” Any illusion of customer service was gone from the clearly frustrated cashier’s voice.

“That’s ridiculous, all bookstores have coffee.”

“Not this one.”

“Then why did I just buy that book?”

“Because you need a hobby?”

There was a quiet staredown between them before Kady thrust the bag back in her direction.

“I want my money back.”

“Sorry.” Without looking, the cashier pointed her thumb at a sign hung on the wall behind her. NO RETURNS OR EXCHANGES. NO EXCEPTIONS.

“Are you kidding me?”

“People read books then bring them back, expecting a refund.”

“I just bought this less than a minute ago.”

“Sorry,” she said, looking anything but. “Store policy.”

Kady drew in a deep breath. Knocking out a bookshop employee would definitely get her kicked off the team. That didn’t mean she couldn’t argue. She opened her mouth to do just that when her phone started ringing. She scowled down at Marina’s name on the screen, then back at the cashier.

“You know what?” she said, silencing her phone. “I’m going to find a real bookstore. One that sells coffee.”

“Have a nice day!” the blonde chirped at her back. Kady could just make out the word, _“Arrogant,”_ muttered like an expletive as she walked through the door.

“Uptight,” she countered and made her way back into the snow.


	2. Chapter 2

Alice hesitated outside the office door. She knew this was necessary. She’s been wrestling with On the Same Page’s financial issues for far too long and she knows the only salvation comes from a marketing and social skill set she’s never possessed. If anyone could save On the Same Page, it would be Margo Hanson. Alice has seen her work miracles, both in business and their personal lives.

Still, it wasn’t easy coming here for help. The thought of standing in front of another person and admitting how poorly the bookshop needed help was terrifying. She couldn’t shake the feeling that saying it out loud would make it all too real.

And if she was being perfectly honest with herself, the idea of an entire afternoon alone with Margo was worrisome. Alice and Margo have been what most people would consider friends for years, but they never quite erased the undercurrent of jealousy and distrust that plagued the early days of their acquaintanceship. After a series of stilted attempts at olive branches and rebuilding bridges, they’d settled somewhat comfortably into a mutual tolerance and respect. Mostly for the sake of Quentin and Eliot than anything else. But that peace extended to group gatherings and family dinners. Alice honestly couldn’t remember the last time they had been alone in a room together. Margo has always been an intimidating figure, full of confidence and energy and thinly veiled aggression, and despite what Alice had told Quentin she was anxious about today’s lunch meeting.

But Alice has never been one to back down from a challenge. So she took a breath to steel herself and let herself into the office.

Margo was sitting at her desk, berating someone Alice assumed to be her assistant. She stopped when she noticed Alice walk in. She leaned back in her chair, giving Alice one of her wide, sly smiles that Alice could never decide if it was genuine or not.

“Alice, you’re here early. Good.” She waved a dismissive hand in the direction of her assistant, attention still fully focused on Alice. “You can go now, Sophie. Hold all my calls until after lunch.”

Sophie fled the room as soon as Margo was finished talking. Alice sat in a lush chair in front of the desk, confidence seeping out of her body.

“I know you have as little patience for small talk as I do, so let’s jump right in.” Margo pulled out a thick folder and set it on the desk. She started rifling through its papers as she spoke. “I have a few plans we can look over today. I made some hard copies because I know you like to keep it old school. Which is something we need to talk about today.”

Alice paged through the heavy stack of papers Margo handed her. “This looks pretty extensive for a pro bono visit. Are you sure you don’t want–”

Margo cut her off with a wave of her hand. “Don’t worry about it. We’ve known each other since college. My best friend is married to your best friend. We’re practically family. The least I can do is offer some free PR advice.”

This went far beyond some “advice.” There were marketing strategies, social media guides, even a stack of business cards for various photographers and local journalists. Alice shouldn’t have expected any different. Margo never did anything by halves.

“The first thing we need to do is work on your internet presence.”

“On the Same Page has a Facebook page.”

“Oh, honey. No one uses Facebook anymore besides grandparents and middle-aged white people ranting about ‘snowflakes.’ We’re gonna have to do better than that.” Margo turned to her computer and started tapping away at something on the keyboard. “We’ll set up Twitter and Instagram accounts for the store. I’ll show you how to use them but it’s probably better to have someone to run the pages for you. I can put you in touch with my friend Fen. She’s a social media manager who does a lot of work for my clients, and her rates are flexible.

“Next we’ll set up a photoshoot for On the Same Page. You’re going to need pictures to upload and draw people in. Help them get a sense of what the store is like and what you’re about. I put the contact info for several photographers I work with in your file. I’ll let you look over them and make a decision, then I’ll book a session.”

Alice’s head was spinning. This was all way more than she imagined it would be.

“And then we’ll have to talk about the party.” What?

“What party?”

“On the Same Page is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, isn’t it?”

“Right. This December.”

“Right. And you’ve mentioned you want to do something special to celebrate.”

“Yes. I thought we could host some sort of event at the store.”

“I’ll do you one better. We’ll be hosting a streetwide festival for the town. Food vendors, booksellers, face painting, raffles. On the Same Page’s logo covering every surface on the street. I know you and Q run a book club out of the shop. Maybe you could do a larger version for the crowd.”

“Margo, this all sounds great but I don’t… I don’t have the money for a street fair. That’s why I came to you in the first place.”

“Sometimes you have to make money to spend money.”

“Yes, but I don’t have the money to spend to make money.”

For a moment, Margo’s business mask slipped and Alice could see the concern hiding beneath the surface. It was gone in a second.

“Don’t worry, Alice. We’ll make this work. Trust me. We can scale down if we have to, but you know we’ll all pitch in to do what we can.”

“Right. I know that. I do.” Alice gripped the folder, her knuckles turning white. “Thank you, Margo. I really appreciate this. I’ll look everything over and call you back tomorrow.”

Alice excused herself as politely as she could, then escaped to the hallway before the panic could fully set in.

Kady didn’t get the eardrum-destroying diatribe she’d been expecting when she finally answered her phone. Instead, she got a very quiet, very restrained, and very, very cold demand from Marina to meet at her office that afternoon.

So she swallowed her pride and made her way to the Chatwin Memorial Arena. Weaving through the halls felt strangely like marching to her own execution.

The office door was open and waiting for her when she arrived.

“Close it on your way in,” Marina said. Right. Execution it is.

Marina Andrieski was president of the Fillory Goddesses. She was a stone cold bitch who was willing to do whatever it took to keep her team at the top of their game. Kady sometimes thought she could love her for it, if Kady herself wasn’t so often the target of Marina’s wrath. At any rate, Kady respected her enough to almost feel bad for fucking up so many games. And she definitely respected the position Marina held on the team and very real power she held over Kady’s position on said team. So while she hasn’t gotten around to cleaning up her act, she always dropped by for the obligatory lecture and her well-rehearsed role of the penitent screw up.

Kady dropped onto Marina’s couch, unbothered. They’ve been through this song and dance together enough times by now that she could recite her lines half asleep. But something was different this time. Marina should be angry. Usually, she’d be threatening to cut Kady from the team by now. Instead, she looked calmer than Kady had ever seen her.

“I’m sure you don’t need me to say it,” she started, “but I’ll get it out of the way. Your behavior last night was unacceptable. You may not care about your own reputation, but the Fillory Goddesses has its own to maintain. Not to mention the consequences your little tantrum had on the rest of the game. If you continue to behave this way, we’ll be forced to terminate your contract. As it stands, you’re being suspended for ten games.”

Kady shot up in her seat, now at full attention. “What? You can’t do that!”

“I can and I did. Try to argue with me and I’ll add more games to your sentence.”

“Bullshit.”

“Ooh, that’s eleven games.”

“You are such a fucking–”

“Twelve. Care to finish that sentence?” Kady stared her down with as much fire as she could muster, but she kept her mouth shut. “That’s not all. During your suspension, you’ll be working with the team’s PR manager to repair your public image. You have an appointment with her tomorrow. You are going to do everything she tells you to do. If you don’t, you’ll be cut from the team.”

“Are you serious?”

“Does it look like I’m joking? You’re lucky. I wanted to fire you, but the higher ups think you’re too valuable a player to cut. But even they have their limits.”

“All right, I get it. I’ll go make nice with the press. Shake hands and kiss babies and all that.”

“We expect this to extend on the ice as well. If you come back and make the same fuck ups all over again, you’re out. Is that clear?”

Kady gave Marina her most venomous smile. “Crystal.”

Marina was unfazed. She tossed a business card like a frisbee and it landed on Kady’s lap.

“That has the number and address for Margo Hanson’s PR firm. You have an appointment tomorrow at 10 AM sharp. Be there on time. Better yet, be early.”

“Sir, yes sir,” Kady said, slipping the card into her boot. She stood up from the couch. “Is that all, your majesty?”

“For now. And Kady,” she called out before Kady could fully leave the office. “I’ve wanted to cut you from the team for months. Don’t give me an excuse to finally do it.”

The sun had long set by the time they closed up shop. Par for the course this late in the year. It felt like a lifetime since Alice left work with the sun still shining. And it would be a while yet before she went home.

She flipped the store sign to closed but left the door unlocked. Even now, with the bookstore struggling to make ends meet, there was one night that never failed: Book Chat.

Alice and Quentin had been running a weekly book club out of the store long before Nick handed over the keys. Over the years, they gathered a small group of loyal regulars. They hadn’t gained a new member in months and it certainly wasn’t popular enough to assuage any of Alice’s concerns about the future of the shop. Still, it provided a welcome distraction from the constant worry. In the past few weeks especially, Book Chat had become a safe and familiar way to escape.

As their guests filed into the shop and took up their regular seats, Alice finished setting up the snack table. She set a small carafe of coffee onto the table and tamped down a resurgence of anger over yesterday’s customer. She shook it off and joined Quentin at the head of the circle. Once she took her seat, Quentin cleared his throat and started up his welcome speech.

“All right, welcome everyone. I’m pretty sure we know everybody here but just for the record: I’m Quentin, this is Alice. Thank you all for coming. This week we’re discussing _The Great Gatsby_ by F. Scott Fitzgerald.”

“One of my favorite books,” Alice cut in.

“You say that about every book.”

“How am I supposed to choose? There are so many amazing books. It’s like the whole world is inside this building.”

Quentin smiled at her. He loved books as passionately as Alice. Years ago, during their brief, disastrous college romance, he had confessed how books helped keep him sane during the worst of his teenage depression. They had both built themselves safe havens out of books to escape the traumas and hardships of their youths.

Now Quentin was married, actively going to therapy, had recently bought a house. Alice knew he and Eliot had also started looking into adoption options. He had built a life for himself in the real world and Alice was still stuck in place.

She knew he still worried about her sometimes. They had gotten into their first real fight since college early last year. He’d told her she couldn’t live her whole life between the pages of a book, that she needed to take a chance on the real world. She had called him a smothering, condescending micromanager who couldn’t see past his rose-colored glasses. Having one successful relationship didn’t qualify him to hand out life advice. He’d pointed out that he never claimed that having a partner meant he was doing better in life than her. But while they were on the subject, maybe if she didn’t shut down any possibility of human connection before it could form she’d be happier. He was basically her only friend and that was only because he’d been too stubborn to let her push him away. Like a leech, she’d countered. Or a strangling ivy.

Things had blown up from there. They didn’t speak to each other for weeks, barely glancing one another’s way when Nick had them scheduled for the same shift. They would have completely fallen apart if Eliot hadn’t locked them in a room together and refused to let them out until they had tearfully made up.

Quentin hadn’t pushed her after that but he would still stare strangely at her sometimes — when she was browsing her travel books or having stilted phone conversations with her mother — and she knew he was fighting the urge to rehash his point. But he always bit his tongue and the peace was maintained.

Now, she looked at him and smiled. She tried to make it reassuring. She wasn’t sure how convincing it was but she knew he wouldn’t challenge her regardless. Sure enough, he simply turned back to the group and cleared his throat.

“Let’s get started. You know, the first time I read this book, I was struck by Fitzgerald’s use of color imagery.”

They carried on for a few hours before cleaning up and shuffling out. It was one of their more successful Book Chat sessions and it was enough to help Alice pretend for a while that the store would be okay.

“Do you wanna come over for dinner tonight?” Quentin asked as they were locking up.

“Not this week. I’ve got some paperwork from Margo to go over.”

“Sounds fun. Just promise to get some sleep tonight.” She smiled but it didn’t reach her eyes.

They parted ways and Alice made the lone trip back to her house. When she walked through the front door, she was greeted by Tris winding around her ankles and a note from Nick that she was running low on cat food. Alice knelt down and scooped the orange tabby into her arms.

“It’s just you and me tonight, girl.” Tris tolerated a few scratches behind the ears before squirming out of Alice’s arms and onto the counter.

Alice pulled out some leftovers to heat up and leave untouched on the corner of her desk while she went over the file from Margo. She was still trying to wrap her head around all the steps Margo had outlined. She had gotten in touch with Fen, the social media consultant, the other night. The woman was talkative and much more bubbly than Alice had expected from someone Margo Hanson would describe as “a friend.” But she seemed to at least know what she was talking about. They had scheduled a meeting for the end of the week so Fen could look around the shop and help set up some social media accounts. The idea of having to keep track of a Twitter page already gave Alice a headache.

The beeping of the microwave pulled her out of her thoughts. She brought her dinner to the living room and pulled out her laptop. Margo had called her to set up a last minute check-in tomorrow morning. Alice planned to at least have a photographer picked out by then. She spent the rest of the night scrolling through portfolios and pulling Tris away from her keyboard. By the time she finally settled on a choice, it was nearly three in the morning.


	3. Chapter 3

When Kady arrived at Whitespire Communications that morning, she had been certain this would be another simple PR clean up job. Make a somber apology over social media, donate to a charity or two, make a surprise appearance at a season ticket holder event. Enough to appease Marina and the fans and get Kady back on the ice. Normally it wouldn’t take longer than a few weeks. As she sat in the office of Margo Hanson, she realized with dread this would be far more involved than she’d anticipated.

Whitespire was the official PR agency for the Brakebills Goddesses. So it went without saying that Kady was a familiar face in the halls. She usually worked with Todd, a bumbling young publicist who was just the right amount of intimidated by her to make working with him tolerable.

But clearly Marina had called in the big guns this time around. Margo Hanson was one of the top performing publicists at Whitespire. She was usually far too busy for Kady’s frequent in-and-out visits. Kady was starting to see her situation in its stark reality. This wasn’t just another mishap to be swept under the rug before playoffs. This time, her career really was on the line.

Considering how much was at stake, she really should have been paying more attention to what Margo was saying. But she found it hard to concentrate on anything but the growing dread. Margo seemed prepared for this. She was probably used to clients who zoned out during meetings. Or maybe she was just used to desperate clients on the razor’s edge of their careers.

Whatever the reason, Margo stopped talking and walked over to a tall wooden cabinet. She slid open the doors to reveal a drink station, complete with a squat wine cooler, tucked away inside.

“Seriously?” Kady asked. “What is this, _Mad Men_?”

Margo shot her a stern look over her shoulder as she pulled a bottle of red from the cooler.

“There is very little I would endorse about workplace practices in the ‘60s. It pretty much begins and ends with the inclusion of a bar in the office.” She pours them each an admittedly modest glass, passing one over to Kady and leaning against the side of her desk. “Now, let me guess what’s wrong. You’re the problem student who’s always acting up in class. Maybe you’ve got problems at home, maybe you’re just a bitch. That’s not really my problem. Up until now, you’ve gotten off with a few detentions, maybe a trip to the guidance counselor. But now you’ve landed yourself in the principal’s office and you’re thinking, ‘Oh shit, I might actually get expelled.’ Is that about right?”

Kady chose to answer by downing half her glass.

“Relax. I’ve never met a story I couldn’t spin. I once got a mayor elected after his opponents leaked photos of him dressing like a bear in the bedroom. This will be a cakewalk.”

Kady took a steadying breath and set her glass on the desk. “Okay. So where do we start?”

“We’ll start with the usual fair. Make a public apology. Announce that you’re taking some time off to reflect on your actions and better yourself, blah blah blah. You know the drill.” Margo topped off her glass but didn’t offer Kady a refill. “I run a sort of partnership service for some of my clients. Occasionally I take on cases that I think will benefit from working together. Especially when one of those cases happens to be ‘celebrity in need of reputation rehab.’ I actually have a client coming in this morning I’d like you to meet.”

As if on cue, there was a quiet knock on the office door and a nervous assistant poked her head in.

“Ms. Hanson? Alice Quinn just arrived. Should I have her wait in the lobby until you’ve finished your meeting?”

“No, bring her in now.”

The assistant ducked back into the hallway and Margo turned back to Kady.

“Perfect timing. I really think you two are going to be the right fit for each other.” Kady didn’t have a chance to answer before a familiar blonde woman was barging into the office.

“Sorry, I got here as soon as I could. I had to wait for Quentin to come take over at the store.”

Perfect. Just perfect. The linchpin to saving her hockey career was an uptight bookworm who hated coffee and made Kady waste twenty bucks on a book she that yes, okay, she had read most of the way through last night. But still. It was the principle of the thing.

She allowed herself a moment to hope the bookseller wouldn’t remember or recognize her. An illusion that was quickly shattered when she scanned the room, eyes narrowing infinitesimally when they landed on Kady. Great. She might as well kiss the Goddesses goodbye now.

“Alice, I’d like you to meet Kady Orloff-Diaz, left wing for the Brakebills Goddesses,” Margo started. “And this is Alice Quinn. She owns a small bookshop just outside of town called On the Same Page.”

“We’ve met,” they said in sync, each immediately disgusted with themselves for the unintentional harmony.

Margo dropped all semblance of professionalism as she turned to look at Alice. She looked gleefully scandalized as she said, “Please don’t tell me you had a shitty one night stand with a professional hockey player and then _didn’t tell me about it._ ”

Alice flushed completely red and choked out, “No, that is absolutely not what happened. She was in the store the other day and–”

“And you have terrible customer service,” Kady finished for her. Alice clenched her jaw. She looked about ready to fight back when Margo threw both her hands out in a clear “cut the bullshit” gesture.

“Whatever it is, it’s not actually important. You two will just have to get over it, otherwise this partnership won’t work.”

“What partnership?” Alice asked. Margo led her to a free chair — much too close to Kady’s own for either of their comfort — and resumed her place in front of the desk.

“Now I know you don’t keep up with sports or celebrity gossip or interesting current events of any kind, so let me fill you in. Kady here is in need of an image makeover. One too many meltdowns on the ice.”

“I think I remember Quentin mentioning something like that,” Alice begrudgingly admitted.

“Right. Point is, she needs to put in some community service hours. Everyone loves a good redemption story. And what better way to show people she’s changed then volunteering at a small, local bookstore. Maybe help you sponsor some events around town. Really give back to the community.”

“You really think associating On the Same Page with a disgraced hockey player is going to help business pick up?”

“No press is bad press, sweetheart,” Kady interjected.

“Obviously that isn’t true or you wouldn’t be here.” Touché.

“Look,” Margo said. “Obviously I know more about this than either of you. You can sort out your petty personal bullshit on your own time but trust me when I say this is the best option for both of you. Kady is a local celebrity, reputation aside. She’ll draw more attention to On the Same Page than any Facebook campaign or billboard ad space could come close to. And helping at the store and around town will show that Kady actually respects her position on the team as more than a paycheck. That she cares about the community she’s playing for. Now, do either of you have any more objections or are you ready to admit that I’m right?”

Neither of them said anything, just looked at each other warily. She had a point, much as Kady hated to admit it. It was exactly the kind of feel-good fluff piece the press would eat up, and it was almost definitely what Marina had in mind for Kady’s punishment. Besides, a few weeks coexisting with Alice surely wouldn’t kill her.

From the look on Alice’s face, she was coming to the same conclusion.

“Fine,” Kady said. “I’m in. What’s the next step?” She’s been through this enough times to know that arguing only drew the process out.

Margo shifted her gaze to focus on Alice, who let out a deep breath she’d been holding. Margo seemed to take this as confirmation.

“The two of you are going to volunteer around town as a way to promote On the Same Page. I already have a few ideas lined up. We’ll meet again within the next few days once I have that finalized to go over the details.”

“We can meet at the bookstore,” Alice said. “There’s plenty of space and it’s not like we’ll disturb the customers.”

“Great. Then we’ll all meet there this Friday, at 9 a.m. Does that work for everyone?” Then, before anyone had the chance to answer, “Perfect. Kady, will you be able to find it again or do you need directions?”

“I’ll figure it out.”

Margo gave her a look that made it clear if Kady was late Margo would make her regret it.

“Well, now that that’s settled, get the hell out of my office. I’ll see you both Friday. I suggest you take the next few days to get to know each other, sort out your shit.”

Kady and Alice left the office and parted ways in the hall without a word.

On Wednesday night, Alice loaded her car full of groceries and a pan of slightly overcooked brownies and drove over to Nick’s house. They’ve maintained this weekly ritual for almost as long as Alice has lived in Fillory.

Alice met Nicholas Myra when she was twenty-five, only a few years out of college and completely lacking any direction. She had moved to Fillory mainly because the (arguably unhealthy) codependent unit of Alice-Quentin-Eliot-Margo that had formed during college naturally gravitated there after graduation.

Margo had been the first to move when Whitespire Communications offered her a job. Eliot, naturally, had followed almost immediately. Fillory was a quiet, out of the way town but close enough to the city that Eliot could start up his freelance event planning business. Quentin spent a few weeks moping about the distance before Alice talked him into following them. It didn’t take much to convince him. Within the month he had found work at a local bookshop and Alice, facing the potential loss of the only friends she’s ever had, went with him.

Quentin introduced her to Nick one day while she was visiting him at work. He had taken to her immediately, for reasons Alice was convinced had nothing to do with her charm and everything to do with the sad, might-as-well-be-orphaned vibes she seemed to give off. It didn’t bother her. Nick was generous and kind in a gruff sort of way that stopped her from ever feeling like a charity case.

It didn’t take long for Nick to offer Alice a job at On the Same Page. She had accepted immediately. She had taken a few odd jobs around campus during college but she hadn’t actively looked for a real job after graduating, living off the heft of money left in her bank account by her parents on her eighteenth birthday. Honestly, she had no idea what she wanted to do.

She had always wanted to travel and she knew that she had the means and opportunity to do so. But the idea of doing it alone just seemed… hollow. So instead, she tagged along with Quentin and the others feeling lost. When Nick offered her a job, she felt like she had finally found a purpose. She felt at home in the bookshop in a way she hadn’t felt before. Like she finally belonged somewhere. She had always got along well with Eliot and Margo but they had always felt more like Quentin’s friends who accepted her as part of a package deal with Quentin, and vice versa. But during the quiet days with Nick at On the Same Page, filled with conversation and jokes and good-natured arguing about books, she finally felt comfortable in her own skin.

The weekly dinners had started when Nick found out how often Alice ordered takeout in a week – and that her dinners the rest of the week were often pre-cooked frozen foods. He’d asked if her parents had ever taught her to cook and she had laughed in his face.

So Wednesday nights from that point forward were dedicated to home-cooked family meals. It provided Alice with the warm, domestic atmosphere she had always craved and breathed life into Nick’s big empty house. He had always wanted kids, he’d confessed to her one night. But life had taken some unexpected turns and it never happened for him. It was the closest either of them has come to admitting that they’d started thinking of one another as family.

Alice pulled into Nick’s driveway and was greeted by a chorus of barking. She could see his two big Weimaraners, Comet and Cupid, pressed against the living room window. Alice grabbed the food from the back seat and let herself in, struggling not to drop anything as Comet and Cupid jumped excitedly at her legs. Nick had obviously already gotten started and Alice could smell turkey roasting in the kitchen.

“Is that you, Alice? Come get started on the salad,” Nick called from down the hall.

Alice made her way through the house, Comet and Cupid trailing at her heels. Nick looked up as she entered the kitchen and eyed the paper bags in her arms suspiciously.

“I’ve been cooking for myself since you were in diapers, you know. I can buy my own groceries.”

“If I left it to you, you’d stock your fridge with nothing but milk and cookies.” He grunted in acknowledgment and went back to the vegetables he was cutting.

Alice stashed the groceries in the fridge and got to work. She enjoyed the peace and calm that came with preparing meals. It had quickly become one of her favorite routines, even when she was home alone.

It wasn’t long before dinner was set and they were seated at Nick’s small kitchen table.

“I saw Sheila in the store this afternoon,” Alice said. “She said you were going on a cruise this summer?”

Nick huffed. “I’m _thinking_ about going on a cruise this summer. Thinking about thinking about it, to be accurate.”

“Come on, you’re retired now. This is exactly the kind of adventure you should be having.”

“Shuffleboard and norovirus are hardly an adventure.”

“You’re forgetting the sun and the all you can eat buffet and the cheesy magic shows.”

“Oh, well how could I refuse now?” Nick asked with a life. “I don’t know, kid. It’s not really my style. Besides, I wouldn’t want to spend that long away from the dogs. And leave you alone with the store…”

“You don’t need to worry about the store. The store is fine.” The words left a bad taste in her mouth but she’d be damned if she let her problems stop Nick from enjoying his retirement.

“I suppose I have been a bit restless…”

“Well, there you go. The perfect reason to go. You know I don’t mind taking the dogs for a week or two.”

Nick mulled it over a few minutes before changing the subject.

“How are things going down at the store anyway? It’s been a bit since I stopped by.”

“It’s been great,” Alice said around a mouthful of turkey, hoping he would attribute any waver in her voice to the food. “Things have really been picking up for the holidays.”

Nick hummed in that disturbingly omniscient way of his. The way that said he knew way more than he would ever let on and would definitely bring up this freaky knowledge again later to win an argument. Great.

So, instead of challenging her lie, he just said, “You know I’m always happy to lend a hand if things are busy.”

“No,” Alice said a little too sharply to keep up the “everything is fine” lie. “I mean, you’re supposed to be enjoying your retirement. I’m not about to put you to work.”

“Are you sure? I know you haven’t taken on any new employees. You and Quentin shouldn’t be spending all day every day cooped up in a bookshop. You’re still young, you should be out living your lives. You do have a life outside of work, don’t you?”

“Of course I do,” Alice huffed.

“Yeah? When’s the last time you went out?”

Alice floundered for a moment, stuffing some salad in her face to buy herself some time.

“I had lunch with Margo last week,” she finally said. Technically it was true. Nick didn’t need to know it had technically been a business lunch. She only had a second to feel triumphant before he raised a single eyebrow at her and the mood deflated.

“If you had to think that long for an answer, it isn’t often enough. I know you like to keep to yourself but you can’t shut the world out. Sometimes I worry you’re going to go through your whole life without living it.”

“You don’t have to worry, Nick. I’ve got all the life I need her in Fillory, and at On the Same Page. I’m happy, I promise.”

Nick let it drop and they finished dinner, but Alice knew he hadn’t truly let it go. And, if she was being honest with herself, she knew he was right.


	4. Chapter 4

Kady, for the first time in her life, showed up early for a meeting.

She wasn’t sure what Margo had planned for her if she’d showed up late but she wasn’t keen to find out. Which is how she found herself standing outside On the Same Page twenty minutes before the meeting was set to start. She spent a few minutes debating whether it would be worth it to wait outside and avoid any extra time spent in her own personal hell before the temperature forced her to seek shelter inside the bookshop.

Naturally, Alice was already inside. Margo was sitting at one of the tables as well, joined by a man with his hair pulled back into a bun. Margo noticed her the moment she walked in.

“Perfect timing. We were just about to go over plans.”

Kady noticed the thick binder sitting on the table in front of Margo and stifled a groan. This was already leagues more involved than any of the past’s PR stunts. She made her way over to the small table and Alice, checking in vain for customers that weren’t there, joined her.

The stranger beside Margo reached a hand across the table for Kady to shake.

“Hi, I’m Quentin. I work here with Alice. It’s so cool to have you in the store today. My husband and I are big fans of the Goddesses. Well, mostly I am but he always cheers you on when you get into fights, so I think you might be his favorite player.”

Kady gave him her best bone-crushing handshake, satisfied with the slight grimace it caused. “Always nice to meet a fan,” she said around a razor sharp smile.

“If you’re done antagonizing the people who are trying to help you,” Margo said, “I’d like to get started.”

Margo opened her binder without looking and pushed it across the table for Kady and Alice to see. The page outlined the contact information for someone named Josh Hoberman and what appeared to be a game schedule for a youth hockey team.

“The idea is to get On the Same Page integrated with the local community. This place has been here for forty years, it’s already a fixture in the community. All you need to do is reach out and remind people you’re here. The first step will be sponsoring the local peewee hockey team. They’re called the Fillory Rams and their coach has been kind enough to let Kady step in and guest coach one of their games this weekend.”

“Oh, no,” Kady said, almost without thinking. “I’m not really great with kids.”

“Well, now you are. Both of you are going to their Sunday game. You’ll be meeting them at the rec center an hour early to run a quick practice, then stay to watch the actual game. I want you both on your best behavior. There’s going to be press there and they’re going to have eyes on the both of you.”

“But I don’t know the first thing about hockey,” Alice protested.

“You don’t need to. All you need to do is show up so the local newspaper can write a very sweet story about how your bookstore and the people who run it are giving back to the community and supporting young kids with a dream.”

Kady and Alice both rolled their eyes at that. Margo ignored them and powered through.

“I have an event lined up at the library next week as well. And obviously Kady will be a featured guest at the 40th anniversary party. I’m thinking Master of Ceremonies, signing autographs, whatever it takes to get eyes on this event.”

As Margo outlined the rest of her plan, Kady was beginning to understand what she’d signed up for. Honestly, it wasn’t much of a stretch from the PR plans she’d done in the past. Though it was certainly more thorough and likely far more effective.

They were interrupted eventually by the arrival of two new people. Margo rose from her chair as the women entered the shop and went to greet them.

“Everyone, this is Fen King and Victoria Gradley. Fen will be running the social media accounts for On the Same Page, and Victoria is a photographer. They’ll be coming with us during the next few weeks.”

It wasn’t long after introductions were made that Kady was not so subtly dismissed from the store.

“We’re just going to spend the rest of the day setting up profiles and teaching Alice what Twitter is, so you might as well head out. I’ll see you at the rec center. Be there on time. By which I mean, be there early.”

“Yeah, I’m getting that.”

“All right, beat it. Your job is done for the day.”

Kady certainly wasn’t going to fight with her. She was almost out the door before common sense sent her begrudgingly back into the store.

“Hey, Quinn.” Alice looked up from where she was frowning at the laptop Fen had propped in front of her. Kady took a deep breath and forced herself to act like a grownup. “If we’re going to work together, we ought to have a way to contact each other. Right?”

It wasn’t the smoothest way she’d ever asked for a girl’s number but it would have to do. Alice blinked at her once, twice, before she finally seemed to get what Kady was asking.

They exchanged numbers silently, tensely. They were so detached from one another during the process it was almost clinical. Once it was over, Kady finally escaped back into the safety of the cold winter morning.

Alice arrived at Fillory’s small rec center early Sunday morning, cursing Margo’s name. When she had gone to Margo for help saving her business, she hadn’t anticipated it would involve pretending to know anything about sports. She had spent the past two days reading up on hockey’s rules and practices but she felt less prepared than ever.

Alice walked into the ice rink to find that Kady had arrived earlier than her. She was almost impressed, but she quickly tamped down the impulse. Kady was talking to a man Alice presumed to be the coach while the kids did laps around the ice. Everything seemed to be running smoothly and Alice wondered if anyone would even notice if she didn’t show up today. Before she even had time to talk herself into or out of anything, Kady glanced up and noticed her standing in the doorway. She waved to Alice with exaggerated enthusiasm, a wide, shit-eating grin spread across her face. Oh well. Time to bite the bullet then.

By the time Alice reached the pair, the coach had taken notice of her as well. He greeted her with a much more genuine smile.

“You must be Alice. It’s so good to meet you.” Alice smiled awkwardly and ended their handshake as quickly as possible without being overtly rude. “I gotta tell you, the kids have been so excited about today. Coached by a real NWHL player? It’s like a dream come true. Thank you so much for arranging this.”

“Oh, well, you know. Anything for the kids.” Alice pointedly didn’t look her way as Kady disguised a scoff as clearing her throat.

“Now that you’re both here, how about I introduce you to the kids?”

“That sounds… great.” At least Kady seemed just as enthusiastic about today as Alice did.

Josh had all the kids line up at center ice. Which meant Alice, who hadn’t had the foresight to rent a pair of skates, had to inch her way along the ice to greet them. Kady glided past her effortlessly, making no offers to help.

“All right,” Kady said. “Why don’t you all step forward and tell me what position you play?”

“I think you mean names,” Alice said.

“Right. Your names and what position you play.”

Alice rolled her eyes but didn’t interrupt again. Kady was surprisingly good with the kids. She ran them threw a few easy drills while Alice watched from the sidelines. Margo and Victoria arrived not long after Alice. They took photos of the practice and of Alice and Kady posed with the team. For a moment, Alice believed things might actually run smoothly.

Then the game started.

Alice and Kady spent the game seated next to Josh, where they had a good view of the ice and the press had a good view of them. Alice wondered if Margo had to call in any favors to have the game covered, or if the rumor of Kady Orloff-Diaz, the wrecking ball of women’s hockey, was enough to draw in reporters.

Whatever their reason, they were certainly getting a show. Kady was standing at the edge of the rink cheering on the Rams. Well, cheering was perhaps too generous. Shouting and encouraging them to get rough with the other team was more accurate.

“Hey, ref! There’s no way you called a penalty for that!”

“Kady, don’t start arguing with the _referee_ . This is a _children’s hockey game._ ” Alice walked over to where Kady was standing, hoping to talk her out of it, but Kady just brushed her off. She began leaning over the barrier and shouting louder.

From the corner of her eye, Alice could see Margo rushing toward them through the crowd. She could also see the flash of cameras.

“Kady,” Alice tried again. “Can you keep it in check for _one goddamn minute, please?”_

After a few more attempts to talk her down, Alice got what she wanted. Kady stopped shouting at the referee. She and Alice started shouting at each other instead. Just in time for the cameras to go off.

Margo dropped a stack of _The Fillorian Times_ onto the bookstore’s cash wrap Monday morning with a harsh _thunk_. The image wasn’t flattering. The cameras caught them with mouths wide open, faces red with anger, while parents and small children looked on in horror.

“I hope you’re both happy with yourselves,” Margo said. “Because I’m not. What you did was childish, stupid, and completely counterintuitive. I thought I told you two to sort your shit out _before_ entering the public eye together. Have either even spoken a single word to each other outside of our assigned meetings?”

Kady and Alice shared a guilty glance. Margo took a deep breath and let it explode from her lips.

“Listen. I know I don’t need to remind either of you how much is at stake. I’m not expecting you to become best friends, but I do expect you both to act your age and work together. This won’t work if you keep cocking up all of my plans over petty drama.”

She was right, of course. Margo held both their lives in her hands and they were sabotaging her at every turn.

Kady held a hand out to Alice. “Truce?”

Alice looked skeptical, then amused, and shook Kady’s hand.

“Great,” Margo said with only a hint of sarcasm. “Look at all of that progress. Now. We need to go over some details for the library tomorrow.”

Margo told them about a charity event being hosted at the library and Kady tuned most of it out. Blah blah blah, something about books being donated that Kady was only half-conscious of offering to pay for. The rest of her was focused on the quietly frantic look on Alice’s face, a look she was clearly trying to hide.

Kady and Margo wound up leaving On the Same Page at the same time that night, once all the details for the following morning were nailed down. They walked to the sidewalk in silence but before they could part ways, Margo rested a hand on the crook of Kady’s elbow.

“Look,” she started. “I take pride in my career and my professionalism, and I am very genuinely dedicated to getting your own career back on track. So I’m only going to say this once. When you pull little stunts like you did yesterday, you aren’t just throwing a tantrum that everyone will forget about in a week. You’re risking the livelihood of one of my closest friends. So I’m warning you now. If this project fails because you can’t keep your temper in check, I’ll see to it personally that no one at Whitespire works with you again and you’ll be handed off to whatever fate the Goddesses decide for you.”

Margo turned on her heel and marched down the snowy sidewalk without giving Kady a chance to answer.


	5. Chapter 5

“Now remember,” Margo said as they walked into the building. “Big smiles, firm handshakes, and absolutely. No. Fighting. Even if you think there aren’t any cameras around. There is always a camera around.”

Alice and Kady stayed silent as they followed her through the library. They were pushing dollies full of boxed up books that were being donated to the library in On the Same Page’s name. Kady had actually footed the bill, much to Alice’s relief.

When they reached the center of the library, they were greeted by the head librarian. Alice knew Zelda from all the collective time they spent in each other’s establishments. Alice wouldn’t call them friends – or even friendly – but they had a mutual respect built entirely on their love of books.

“Oh, good. You’re here,” she said, eyeing them all with unease. Her gaze lingered on Kady and for a confusing moment, Alice felt strangely protective. What did she think Kady was going to do – get into a fight with the books?

There were several carts full of books ready to be shelved, and a host of photographers waiting to document them. It was all for show, of course. The books being donated needed to be processed through the library’s system before they ever touched a shelf. But handing over a few boxes and leaving didn’t make for a very interesting photo shoot, so Margo had arranged for them both to do some volunteer work around the library. After a few overly staged photos with Zelda, they grabbed a cart and made their way into the library.

“Remember, inside voices,” Margo said as they passed by. “And don’t do anything–”

“That would embarrass us and by extension you,” Alice and Kady finished in unison.

“Right. Have fun kids.”

They started reshelving books while cameras flashed behind them. Occasionally, someone would have them pose with the books. At the rate they were going, Alice would be surprised if they made it through one full cart by the end of the day. Kady held up a car repair manual for one of the shots and Alice failed to hold back a scoff.

“What?”

“Nothing, it’s just… Well, it’s not exactly literature, is it?”

Kady rolled her eyes and pushed the cart down a new aisle. The photographers had peeled off for the time being, most likely to get some extra shots of the library. “I’m sorry, Your Highness. Would you prefer _Villette?_ Or perhaps _The Brothers Karamazov?_ ”

“Do you even know what those are?”

“I do, actually. Believe it or not, not all hockey players are illiterate meatheads.”

“Oh, I don’t think that about all hockey players,” Alice said, leaning back against one of the shelves. Kady mirrored her position on the opposite side of the aisle. “Just the ones who get into fights every other game.”

“It’s not like I go looking for fights, you know.”

“So, what? ‘They started it’ – that’s your defense?”

Kady shrugged. “Yeah, pretty much.”

They were both silent for a moment, enjoying the brief respite from the cameras.

“About that last game,” Kady started. “Someone from the other team boarded my teammate Julia. They ran her into a wall,” she clarified at Alice’s blank look. “Hard. And excessively. The refs didn’t notice, so I took matters into my own hands.”

“So you were just defending your teammate?”

“Yeah. I learned the hard way not to expect other people to have your back. So I take care of myself and the people I care about.”

“That’s… actually almost sweet.”

“I have my moments.”

Alice couldn’t help her curiosity. “So this Julia, are the two of you close?”

“She’s like family,” Kady answered without hesitation. She seemed almost surprised by her honesty but barrelled on anyway. “We’ve known each other since college, been through everything together. She’s the reason I’m playing for the Goddesses. She stood up for me when just about every other team had decided I was too much trouble to be worth it.”

“Hmm. So how does she feel about your suspension?”

“She calls me every night to ‘check on my progress,’” she said with a huff. Alice found herself inching across the aisle.

“What do you like so much about hockey anyway?”

“I… don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

“I mean, nobody’s ever asked me that before. I’ve been playing since I was a kid. I guess I liked that it gave me an excuse to get out of the house. Let out some of my pent up aggression, obviously. And it got me a full ride to a good school and a chance to travel, which was a bonus.”

“I’ve always wanted to travel,” Alice admitted.

“What’s stopping you?” Kady had followed her lead and now they stood barely a foot apart across the aisle.

“Honestly? Myself. When I was younger, I was too scared to go that far out of my comfort zone. And now I have to worry about the bookshop and Nick and my life in Fillory.”

“It sounds to me like you’re still scared.”

“Excuse me?”

Kady shrugged, leaning imperceptibly closer. “Those don’t sound like reasons, they sound like excuses. Owning a business doesn’t have to stop you from taking a vacation once in a while. I’m sure Quincy–”

“Quentin.”

“–would be more than happy to hold down the fort until you got back.”

She didn’t know how right she was. Alice was sure if she told Quentin she was even considering taking a trip somewhere, he’d have her bags packed in a second and shove her on the next plane out of state. Not that it mattered.

“I don’t have the money to travel. My business is failing, remember? That’s half the reason we’re in this situation.” Alice looked away, focusing on a point just to the right of Kady’s jaw. Eye contact suddenly felt like more than she could handle at the moment. “It’s fine, though. I still have books. I can visit a thousand different places without leaving town.”

“That sounds like a pretty poor substitute.”

“Yeah. Yeah, you’re probably right. But it’s better than nothing.”

Alice could hear footsteps and hushed voices nearby. She knew it was only a matter of time before the photographers caught up and their brief sanctuary would be gone.

“Books are still great for a quick escape,” Kady said. “When I was a kid, I used to spend hours at the library, especially during the summer. It was a nice break from real life.”

“Really?” Alice tried not to sound too surprised. Thankfully, Kady didn’t seem offended.

“My mom worked a lot of odd jobs at a lot of odd hours, and she couldn’t really afford childcare back then. I got antsy cooped up at home by myself so I usually settled in at the library instead. I’m pretty sure all the librarians hated me, though. I was kind of a shit when I was a kid.”

“No. You?”

Kady smiled, and it was different from the self-deprecating grimaces or sardonic grins Alice was used to seeing from her. There was still something sharp about it but she looked genuinely pleased. Like she had stumbled onto something precious.

“So, what’s your favorite book?” Alice asked, desperate to shut down the fluttering in her gut. “I’m assuming you did actually read while you were there. Or did you exclusively terrorize helpless librarians?”

Kady paused, obviously giving it some thought. By now, the reporters had found them again and Alice watched the way their camera lights flashed against Kady’s face.

“ _A Wrinkle in Time,_ ” she finally answered. “I loved the adventure of it. And I really liked Meg.”

“Of course you would. ‘Belligerent and uncooperative’ sounds like just your style.” Kady accepted this with a shrug and a crooked grin. “I’ve always loved that book too. It’s one of my favorites… Although, Quentin always says that I have too many favorites. Once he said we should just rename Book Chat ‘Alice’s Favorite Things.’”

“There’s nothing wrong with that. You’re just… passionate.”

They were both quiet for a moment, the only sound the flash of cameras as Alice built up the courage to speak again.

“You should come. Uh, to the next Book Chat, I mean. We meet every Monday after the store closes. We’re reading _The War of the Worlds_ this week.”

“Oh, did they make a book about the movie?” The alarm Alice felt must have been painted all over her face because Kady started laughing. “I’m fucking with you. I’ve got a copy at home.”

“Great. Well, the invitation still stands. No pressure. Just a suggestion.”

Zelda and Margo found them then, officially ending their break. They didn’t get much opportunity to talk the rest of the day. Still, Alice left the library feeling reassured. Happy, even. She was starting to think this whole endeavor might actually turn out for the better. That changed when she saw the headlines the next morning.

“This is a disaster, Margo.” She had her phone in one hand, a copy of _The Fillorian Times_ clutched in the other.

“It’s not that bad. Way better than what they were printing about you two before, anyway. In fact, one might even go so far as to call it ‘good.’”

There on the front page, in full color, were Alice and Kady standing (suspiciously close, she will admit) across from each other among the bookshelves. Each article had a slightly different shot and not all had made the front page. But each one followed a common thread.

**_ROMANCE BLOOMS BETWEEN THE SHELVES_ **

**_KADY AND ALICE: ARE THEY AN ITEM?_ **

**_BOOKSELLER MELTS THE HEART OF NWHL’S ICE QUEEN_ **

“So what, you wanted this to happen?”

“Of course not. But it doesn’t exactly hurt things. Think of all the press it’ll bring to On the Same Page.”

“I wasn’t looking for _this_ kind of press, Margo.” Quentin was sitting behind the counter reading one of the trashier tabloids titled **_SMALL TOWN SCANDAL: TRUTH ABOUT TORRID LOVE AFFAIR!_ ** She ripped it out of his hands much to his protest. “I’m trying to attract business, not paparazzi and flies on the wall.”

“Relax, kitty cat. It’s just meaningless celebrity gossip. They’ll all be bored of it by the end of the week.”

“I guess…” Quentin was inching his hand towards another paper. Alice smacked his hand away a little more harshly than necessary.

“Try not to worry about it too much. It’s my job to deal with the press, remember? You and Kady are doing great. Just keep it up and everything will work out.”

“Right. Okay. Thanks, Margo.”

Alice ended the call then collected all of the papers and magazines into her arms. She dumped them into the trash, over Quentin’s protests.


	6. Chapter 6

It was almost time to start Book Chat and Kady still hadn’t arrived. Alice tried not to let herself be disappointed by that. It’s not like they were friends or anything. They had one pleasant conversation. Maybe it was a good thing she wasn’t here. Maybe spending more time together than they were contractually obligated to would be testing fate.

Alice pushed any thoughts of Kady from her mind and waited for Quentin to start the meeting.

“Welcome back, everyone. As always, I’m Quentin and this is Alice. What are we reading this week, Alice?”

“We’re reading _The War of the-_ ”

She was cut off by the front door opening suddenly and a familiar set of curls rushing into the store.

“Sorry, sorry. Hope I’m not too late.”

“You’re fine,” Quentin said. He still looked a little starstruck whenever Kady was in the room. “We were just getting started.”

Alice waited for Kady to find a seat in the circle before starting again.

“Right. Um, anyways. This week we’re talking about _The War of the Worlds_ by H.G. Wells. Often associated with the radio drama performed by Orson Wells in 1938.”

“And the Tom Cruise movie,” Kady cut in.

“Right, and the Tom Cruise movie.”

“Let’s talk about the themes,” Quentin said. “What do you think H.G. Wells was commenting on? Kady?”

“Uh… Aliens are bad?” This earned her a few quiet chuckles from around the circle.

“Okay, I guess that’s fair,” Quentin allowed with a laugh.

“Excuse me,” said Alice, “but what about the issues of colonization. The British Empire was making big moves at the time Wells was writing this book.”

“That may be true,” Kady said. “A lot of books or movies or any kind of art is made to represent some sort of moral or cultural idea. But sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, right?”

“So you’re saying we shouldn’t bother interpreting the deeper themes in novels?”

“No, no, I’m not saying that. But you shouldn’t overthink things. Don’t get me wrong, the history and the context are interesting. But you shouldn’t need to know all that to enjoy a book.”

“ I guess you have a point. Still, you hardly have to look deep here. A battle for the survival of the human race, against a group of militant invaders that take over planets and eradicate all signs of native life and culture. It seems like a pretty obvious metaphor.”

“Sure, but all art is open to interpretation, right?”

“What’s your interpretation then?”

“Intergalactic hockey match.” Another round of laughs from the group, who had otherwise fallen silent to watch their back and forth.

“I’ll admit, I don’t know much about hockey, but I don’t recall deadly heat rays being involved.”

Kady smiled, an unreadable glint in her eye. “Touché.”

The rest of Book Chat devolved into gentle ribbing, occasionally broken up by Quentin trying to get them back on track. Somewhere between all the bickering, Alice was surprised to find it was one of the most in depth sessions they’ve had. She wasn’t used to the push and pull of an honest to God debate. There was certainly no lack of differing opinions in Book Chat, but each interpretation was usually met with solemn head-nodding or respectful murmuring. Kady didn’t just offer her own thoughts on the book, she challenged Alice’s. It was refreshing.

After Book Chat wraps up and all the other guests file out, Kady stays behind to help Alice and Quentin clean up.

“Thank you,” Alice said. “You really didn’t have to stay.”

“Not a problem. Besides, we’re partners now, right?” Kady said with a wink. Alice’s face flushed as the headlines from that morning flashed through her head. Had Kady seen them? Did it matter?

“Still. It’s nice of you to help.”

Alice kept quiet after that, letting Kady and Quentin’s idle small talk fill the silence. She wondered if she should’ve done more to break that up as she locked up the shop fpr the night.

“So,” Quentin began, “do you have plans after this?”

“Just a bottle of wine and a _Die Hard_ marathon.”

“You should come have dinner with us.”

Alice whirled around to stop the conversation, but it was too late.

“We usually get together for dinner at my house after Book Chats,” he continued. “My husband Eliot is an amazing cook.”

“He’s also very particular about his plans,” Alice reminded him. “He’ll throw a fit if you drag in an unexpected guest.”

“I think if that unexpected guest is a professional hockey player, he’ll forgive me.”

“We already took up most of Kady’s night. I’m sure she doesn’t want to–”

“Actually, that sounds really nice,” Kady cut in. Shit.

Alice watched in numb horror as Quentin gave Kady directions to his house. The smug bastard knew exactly what he was doing, he looked far too pleased with himself not to.

All right, fine. This would be fine. She and Kady have actually been getting along, it wasn’t like the night would devolve into a fight. And as for the other thing… Well, Margo was right. It was just stupid, idle gossip made up by people desperate to sell magazines. She shouldn’t let it get to her. It’s not like there was any truth to it. So what if Kady turned out to be intelligent and well-read on top of being unfairly attractive. It was all irrelevant. In a few weeks, they would part ways and this whole mess would fade into a distant memory. What could one dinner hurt?

“All right,” Kady said. “I’ll meet you both there.”

Alice returned her smile and waited for her to walk away before shooting a dirty look Quentin’s way.

“What?” Quentin asked around a barely contained smile. “I was just being friendly.”

Kady stopped by the closest liquor store still open to pick up a bottle of wine. She spent nearly twenty minutes floundering in the aisles. She knew some people were particular about the kinds of wine they paired with their meals, and she had no idea what they were serving for dinner. And, if she was being honest with herself, she didn’t know anything about wine and wouldn’t have been able to pick the right bottle regardless. Maybe she should call Julia. She came from a bougie family, she would probably know all about proper wine pairings and other impressive dinner party skills.

Not that Kady was trying to impress Alice or her friends. She was definitely overthinking this. She grabbed a generic red and generic white to cover her bases and fled the store. Whatever kind of impression she was hoping to make, it certainly wasn’t going to be positive if she showed up any later than she already was.

Kady blasted the radio on her way to Quentin’s house, refusing to let herself think on the way over. It was a convenient way to silence the voice in her head (that sounded suspiciously like Julia) that wanted her to read into why she accepted Quentin’s dinner offer. Or why she had come to Book Chat in the first place. Or why she kept looking for new, gentle ways to poke at Alice’s nerves. Kady was definitely glad they weren’t at each other’s throats so consistently. But maybe Alice was just a little bit cute when she got all worked up over something. And maybe Kady liked the shy smile she got once Alice calmed back down. Whatever, it wasn’t like that had to mean anything.

She left that entire train of thought behind as she pulled into Quentin’s driveway. Tonight would be fine. She had plenty of practice socializing during Julia and Penny’s rare dinner parties when they wanted to seem like Real Adults. Of course that “socializing” pretty much consisted of Kady and Penny being asocial together in a remote corner of the room while Julia caught up with their college friends.

Kady fumbled at their Ring doorbell with her elbow, then stood there awkwardly double-fisting subpar wine while she waited for someone to answer the door.

Quentin didn’t leave her out there for long. He opened the door with the same earnest expression he seemed to approach everything in life with. Kady could see why Alice kept him around. There was something refreshing about being around someone so goddamn _genuine_.

“Kady, hi. You’re just in time. Dinner’s almost ready.” He ushered her into the house, leading her into one of those open concept layouts that were all over HGTV. Kady wondered what exactly this Eliot did for a living that they could afford such a nice place. It certainly wasn’t bought on Quentin’s cashier-at-a-failing-bookstore salary.

To Kady’s surprise, Margo was standing in the kitchen talking to a man Kady assumed must be Eliot. She leaned against a counter while he prepared dinner. They orbited around each other with an easy familiarity that reminded Kady of late nights spent at Julia and Penny’s house.

Alice sat at the kitchen table, sipping at a glass of wine and watching their back and forth. They all looked up when Quentin shut the front door. Alice looked almost embarrassed when she saw Kady, much to the others’ amusement. It only took a second for Eliot to switch into host mode.

“Kady! It’s so nice to finally meet you.” He crossed the room in long strides, abandoning the stove which Margo took over with a quiet, _“Jesus, El.”_

“I’ve heard all kinds of stories about you,” he continued. “Especially from our dear Alice.”

Alice’s face reddened and she finished off her glass. Ah, so they _had_ seen the headlines then.

“Quentin’s told me a lot about you, too.” This seemed to be the right response as it earned her a tiny, private smile. Eliot wiped the lovesick look out of his eyes and reached for the bottles she still had awkwardly clutched in her fists.

“And you brought wine, how thoughtful. You… really shouldn’t have,” he said as he frowned at the labels.

“Eliot,” Quentin scolded him.

“No, it’s fine. Wine’s not really my forte. Next time I’ll bring I nice Scotch.”

“Sounds perfect,” Eliot said with a smile and passed the bottles off to Quentin. “Don’t worry, I’m sure they won’t go to waste. Q’s never met a wine he didn’t like.”

“Are you gonna come back to your post at any point?” Margo called from the stove. “Or are you gonna trust me alone with your spice rack?” Eliot dashed back to the kitchen, crying out when he discovered that Margo had already taken some liberties with his recipe.

Kady took a seat next to Alice and Quentin poured her a glass from the already opened bottle of wine. Kady watched the four of them as they effortlessly balanced between three or four separate conversations happening at once. Occasionally Kady would jump in with her own observation, or one of them would draw her in to settle an argument. They had all obviously known each other for a long time. She had been prepared for a weird adjustment period, one that possibly would last the entire dinner, that always came from joining a pre-established friend group. But she was surprised by how easily she seemed to mesh with them.

Halfway through dinner, they started regaling her with wild tales from their college days. They were in the middle of a story about the time they partied with their dorm’s resident stoner.

“The entire party broke into a phenomenal rendition of ‘Under Pressure,’” Eliot said. “It was beautifully choreographed. Perfectly on key. One of my best performances to date.”

“We sounded like alley cats caught in a burning building,” said Alice.

By the time dinner was over, Kady was laughing so hard her face was sore. She had even started to forget the circumstances that brought her to this group. Eliot sent her home at the end of the night with a box full of leftovers in an actual restaurant quality takeout container.

“Does he just have these on hand?” she asked Alice as they walked out of the house. Alice nodded, clutching her own takeout box.

“Eliot takes hosting very seriously.” By this time, they had reached their cars but neither of them made of move for their keys. “Thanks for coming tonight. I’m pretty sure you made Quentin’s week. And it was actually nice spending time with you without an audience.”

“Sure. It was fun hearing about your wild youth.” Alice snorted.

“Please. ‘Wild’ is a strong word for it. I mostly just followed the other three around.”

“When is the last time you actually did something for yourself?”

“I spent twenty dollars on an audiobook last week.”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

Alice let out a long breath. “I don’t know. It’s been a while.”

Alice’s face was pinched. It looked like she honestly couldn’t remember the last time she’d done something just for the sake of having fun, because she wanted to. Like she wasn’t sure if she ever had in the first place.

“Once this whole PR circus is over,” Kady found herself saying, “you should let me take you out, have some actual fun. Spend some time in a building that isn’t full of books.”

“But what if my idea of fun involves a building full of books?”

Kady shrugged. “Then we’ll spend a night cavorting in a library. I just want to see you let loose.”

Alice blushed a furious shade of red. It was a shame the paparazzi weren’t there to see it.


	7. Chapter 7

Kady could lie and say she didn’t know what compelled her to host another practice with the peewee hockey team, but she knew exactly what the reason was. Hockey has been such an important escape for her as a child, and remained the center of some of her happiest memories. She saw a lot of herself in the adorable little brats who made up the Fillory Rams. And, if she were being completely honest with herself, she still felt a little guilty about ruining their game.

So she had called up Josh Hoberman over the weekend and arranged for the Rams to have a special practice at Chatwin Memorial Arena. (After clearing everything with Marina, which had involved an embarrassing amount of wheedling and arguing that this was exactly the kind of good deeds Marina had sent her to do in the first place.)

She enlisted Julia’s help and Friday night they met the Rams at the arena. It felt good to be back on the ice, even in this context. Kady knew she had a while to go before she would be ready to rejoin the team. She just wanted to savor what little time she could get on the ice before then. She helped Julia set up some cones for drills, then spent the remaining time waiting for the kids to show up doing laps around the ice, letting her thoughts go blank for a few blissful minutes.

It wasn’t long before Marina made her entrance, Josh and kids in tow. There was a look of wide-eyed amazement on each of their faces (Josh included) as they took in their surroundings. Marina led the group to the edge of the rink.

“All right, kiddies. This is where I leave you for now.” Her voice was sickly sweet and Kady had to hold back a scoff. It was no secret Marina didn’t like children, and any attempt to hide that fact for the sake of public image came off stilted and uncomfortable for everybody involved. It would probably be better for her reputation if she just admitted that she couldn’t stand kids and let one of the friendlier staff members handle field trips. “But as a special treat, Kady and Julia have arranged a tour of the building after practice.”

Kady most certainly hadn’t arranged a tour of the building, which meant Marina had set it up as a surprise. That was… actually really nice of her. Kady might consider thanking her later. Maybe.

“All right, punks,” Kady called out once Marina had left. “Who’s ready to get started?”

In an excited rush, the kids all dashed towards the rink. Josh had to hold them back and remind them that they needed to put on skates before they got onto the ice. So they shoved their feet into their skates with impatient grumbles and dashed onto the ice as soon as the laces were tied.

Kady and Julia led them through some basic drills then arranged a sall scrimmage, with each of them coaching half the team. Kady was starting to wonder if they were responsible for the tour portion of the day when Pete, one of Marina’s lackeys, came to the rink to collect the team. He looked even more uncomfortable around the kids than Marina had been. Kady hoped the kids gave him hell on the tour.

She and Julia saw the kids off, with plenty of high fives and a few hugs, then started cleaning up the equipment.

“This was a really sweet idea,” Julia said.

“Oh, shut up.”

“I mean it, Kady. What you did was really nice. It meant a lot to those kids. They’re probably gonna talk about it for weeks.”

“Whatever, it’s taking me one step closer to being able to play again.”

“That is such bullshit. You know you can’t lie to me. Besides, I didn’t see a single camera here, did you?”

“I took a selfie with that Bailey kid.”

“You’re right, my apologies. Clearly you’re only in it for the fame and glory.”

“Thank you.”

Julia snorted as they dragged everything back into the equipment room.

“Admit it, you’re going soft. That librarian’s really made an impact on you.”

“She’s not a librarian, she’s a bookseller. That feels like, I don’t know, the antithesis of a librarian.”

“I’m pretty sure the antithesis of a librarian would be someone who charges you money then burns the book you wanted to read. And you’re dodging my point.”

Kady followed Julia back into the hallway and locked up behind them.

“It has nothing to do with Alice,” Kady said, pocketing the key. “I remember what it was like to be in their place. And I wanted to do something to support them.”

Julia hummed, studying Kady’s face.

“Okay,” she finally said. “Still, you’ve seemed differently lately. Don’t tell me, you’re not,” she paused to gasp, “ _ smitten _ , are you?”

“Don’t.”

“Could it be that something…  _ torrid _ is transpiring? Is it possible that someone is  _ melting  _ your  _ icy heart?! _ ”

“Julia,” Kady groaned. Of course she had seen the newspapers. Of  _ course _ she had. Which meant Penny had definitely read them. Kady wondered if she should preemptively block his number.

“All right, all right, I’m sorry. But you have to admit, it is kind of funny.”

Kady glared at her and stomped down the hall, Julia’s laughter echoing behind her.


	8. Chapter 8

Alice and Kady had (reluctantly) exchanged contact information after they started working together on the PR project. They had both quietly agreed it was for emergency situations only, if they absolutely had to get in touch with each other and absolutely couldn’t use Margo as a conduit. At the time, they had no intention of interacting with one another more than was strictly necessary.

So Alice was surprised when she received a text Saturday afternoon from Kady, inviting her to watch the Brakebills Goddesses’ away game that night.

After a brief back and forth, they arranged for Kady to drive Alice to a friend’s house  _ (“Penny, one of my oldest friends. He’s a real asshole, you’ll love him.”) _ to watch the game. Kady didn’t come right out and say it in the texts, but it was obvious that she was feeling restless and bitter over having to stay behind while her team was out of state. So Alice agreed. At the very least, it might help ease the blow of being left behind. And who knew, maybe it would be more fun than the handful of times Quentin had tried to rope Alice into watching hockey with him. It wasn’t likely, but it wasn’t impossible either.

Alice spent nearly an hour fretting over what to wear before caving in and calling Margo. She regretted it almost immediately.

“Wear something that shows off your tits. None of those pilgrim dresses you’ve got clogging up your closet.”

“This isn’t a date, Margo.”

“Sure it isn’t. Wear that backless blouse I got you for your birthday.”

Alice hung up and called Eliot instead.

“Wear something that shows off your tits,” he suggested immediately.

“You two are the worst people I know. You know that, right?”

She ended the call to the sound of his laughter. Reluctantly, she redialed Margo.

“Well, well, well. You’ve come crawling back, I see.”

“Well who else am I supposed to ask for fashion advice?  _ Quentin? _ ”

“God, please don’t do that. My head hurts just thinking about it.”

Margo talked her through wardrobe options, making her switch to Face Time so she could approve the final product. Alice let Margo talk her into the backless shirt and she had to admit, Margo was right. It did look amazing. Margo let out a low whistle.

“Alice, darling. Remind me why we never hooked up in college?”

“Did you… want… to?”

“You mean it wasn’t obvious?” Margo sighed and shook her head. “Wasted opportunities. Oh well. Have fun on your not-date, kitty cat.”

Yeah, Alice definitely didn’t have time to unpack all of that. There wasn’t space in her mind for this revelation and everything  not going on with Kady. As if on cue, Kady texted to say she had arrived at Alice’s house. So Alice pushed the phone call out of her thoughts and grabbed a coat.

Kady had been right about Penny – he was a magnificent asshole. He jeered at the other team with Kady and loudly cheered on Julia (who, Alice learned, was his girlfriend) whenever he had the chance. During commercials, he asked Alice about On the Same Page and told her about his job as a travel writer. Alice was starstruck when she found out he ran one of her favorite travel blogs, known for his very gruff but honest reviews and breathtaking photos.

“I usually like to go during the off-season, so Jules can come with.”

When he mentioned off-handedly that someone had approached him with the idea of adapting his blog into a book, Alice had to restrain herself from begging him to do a book signing at the shop.

To Alice’s surprise, she actually found herself enjoying the game. She wasn’t about to go out and buy season tickets or anything. But maybe the next time Quentin pestered her to watch a game with him, she’d actually say yes.

Instead of packing up and leaving after the game was over, they decided to stay in and put on a holiday movie marathon.

“Don’t tell anyone,” Kady and Penny threatened in unison. Alice mimed zipping her lips. She followed Kady to the kitchen to make popcorn while Penny switched to the Hallmark Channel.

“They’re our guilty pleasure. We haven’t even told Julia about it,” Kady said. “We’re both pretty sure she knows, but she hasn’t brought it up. So we’re pretending it’s still a secret.”

“Well look at you,” Alice said. “So multifaceted.”

“I know. Maybe once I retire from hockey, I’ll send in a spec script to Hallmark. Can’t be that hard, right?”

They were both quiet a moment, the only sound coming from the popcorn in the microwave.

“What are you going to do? After you’re done with hockey, I mean.”

Kady shrugged. “I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it.”

Alice felt like she’d been slapped in the face.

“How… How have you not thought about it? We’re talking about your life, your  _ future. _ You really don’t have a plan?”

“Nope. And I bet you’ve got a plan for everything, don’t you?”

“Yeah, basically.” Alice was reeling. How could Kady  _ not know? _ Wasn’t she worried? Were there really people in the world who didn’t spend every waking moment sick with anxiety over what comes next?

“Look, it’s not that I’ve never  _ ever _ thought about it,” Kady placated. She seemed to sense how worried Alice was over this. Alice supposed it was written plainly all over her face. “I guess it’s just… hard to think about my life without hockey.”

The microwave beeped and Kady reached for the bag immediately. She swore and brought her burnt thumb to her lips.

“And I know I probably should, and soon,” she continued. “Athletic careers don’t tend to continue into middle age. And with my temper and reputation, I could end up out of the game way before that. But every time I try to picture my life away from hockey, I get this big empty feeling in my gut.”

“I get that,” Alice allowed. “I have no idea what I would do if… if I ever lose On the Same Page.”

Alice’s stomach dropped and her previously warm contented feeling was replaced with an icy spike of fear.

“Hey,” Kady said, putting a hand on Alice’s upper arm. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring things down. Let’s go watch some cheesy movies and pretend our careers are totally secure, all right?”

Alice took a deep breath. “Yeah, yeah, that sounds nice.”

Kady gave her arm a reassuring squeeze before letting go and picking up the bowl of popcorn. Alice found herself missing the presence.


	9. Chapter 9

On Monday Morning, Alice left Quentin to open the shop and drove out to Whitespire Communications. She and Margo were meeting one on one to go over financial details for the anniversary party.

Margo didn’t waste any time getting into business. Alice was barely through the office door before Margo started outlining vendors, entertainment, and giveaways. Alice let her go on uninterrupted for a few minutes, struggling to keep up, before she finally cut in.

“Margo, Margo, stop. This all sounds amazing but… you know I can’t afford all this.”

Margo blinked, tilting her head in confusion. “You mean she didn’t tell you?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Kady. She offered to cover whatever expenses you couldn’t. She said she would even try to hassle the Goddesses into throwing in an official sponsorship to help pad the budget.”

Alice sank back into her seat in shock. “She really did that?”

“Sure did. Told you that blouse was a good idea.” Alice glared over the top of her glasses. “I’m kidding. I promised you I would make this work, didn’t I? So relax and let people help you for once. I know that’s going to be difficult for you, but I need you to try for me, okay?”

“I’ll try.”

“Thank you. Now, about food.”

Alice didn’t make it out of Margo’s office for another hour and a half. And even then, she didn’t escape from the planning and the endless business talk. Instead, they just relocated to On the Same Page to meet up with the rest of their team.

The bookstore, blessedly, was busier than it had been when they’d started this venture. It still wasn’t enough to get the shop completely out of the red, but it did mean that they had to retreat to a more private table and that Quentin was too busy with customers to be a frequent part of the discussion.

Thankfully, Fen and Margo took over most of the conversation. They shot ideas back and forth, pausing and refining ones they thought were particularly promising. They already had flyers printed out, advertising generic promises of **Food! Games! And MORE!** The only specific detail they shared was **Special Guest Kady Orloff-Diaz of the Brakebills Goddesses.**

Kady jumped in with an idea every now and then, but for the most part it was Margo and Fen running the show. Alice found it difficult to concentrate on the conversation for any meaningful amount of time. She couldn’t stop thinking about the numbers she had run last night. About the terrible, terrible end she was afraid the shop would meet, even with all of the efforts they’ve put into it.

Kady was the first to notice something was wrong.

“Hey, what’s on your mind?”

“It’s nothing. What were you saying about live music?”

“Oh, no,” Margo said. “No, no, no. What did I just say this morning?”

Alice sighed. “You’re right. Sorry.”

“Seriously,” Kady asked. “What’s wrong?”

Alice looked away, out at the bookshop that had saved her. The bookshop that she was failing to save in return.

“I might have… downplayed how poorly On the Same Page is doing. If this anniversary party isn’t a raging success, we… I’ll have to shut down the shop.”

Alice felt tears welling up in her eyes and she desperately blinked them back. Kady reached over and took one of Alice’s hands into her own.

“Hey, it’ll be okay. We’ll make this the best damn party this town has ever seen. They won’t know what hit them.”

“I don’t give up,” Margo said. “And I don’t fail. We won’t let you lose On the Same Page. That’s not just a promise. That’s a guaran-fucking-tee.”

Alice felt the knots in her chest loosen just the slightest bit. It wasn’t so much the platitudes themselves that helped. It was the reminder that she wasn’t going through it alone. She had a team behind her. A family. They would be there to prop her up or to break her fall.

“Thank you,” she said, and she had never meant it more in her life.

They finished their brainstorming session pretty quickly after Alice’s confession. Margo and Fen went back to Whitespire to book vendors and entertainment while Kady and Alice started putting flyers up all around town. It would have been quicker if they split up but neither of them wanted to leave the other’s company, especially after Alice’s minor breakdown. So they walked side by side through Fillory, distributing flyers to local stores and stapling a handful to community boards and telephone poles.

“Hey,” Kady said as they walked out of a diner. “You know I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make this work out, right? And I don’t just mean for my sake. I want to see On the Same Page win at the end of all this.”

“Yeah, I know that.” Alice still looked emotionally spent, but the smile she gave Kady was genuine.

“Margo said you’re going to host a live Book Chat on a stage, right? Maybe I could help you run it. I’m sure it would make for better advertising than being stuck behind an autograph booth all night.”

“That would actually be amazing. I’ve been getting on stage in front of all those people. Having more people there with me might help take some of the pressure down.”

“Well, lucky for you I have plenty of experience performing for a crowd. How about we get together tonight and talk about which book we should discuss? Maybe over dinner?”

Kady held her breath and tried to discern if Alice’s pink cheeks were because of her offer or the cold temperature.

“That sounds perfect,” Alice said. “Why don’t you come to my place around seven?”

“It’s a date.”


	10. Chapter 10

Once all of the flyers had been distributed and Alice returned to the shop, Kady met Julia at Chatwin Memorial Arena for a much needed skating session. It’s the first time they’ve seen each other since Julia got back in town. Kady could tell she was dying to ask about Alice’s visit on Saturday, but she could wait. Kady needed to work out some stress before she indulged Julia’s inner gossip. Besides, she was sure Penny had already filled in plenty of details.

To Julia’s credit, she waits an entire hour before bringing it up.

“So, I hear Penny got to meet Alice before I did.”

“You could have met her whenever you wanted to. You know where she works.”

“It wouldn’t have been the same. Penny didn’t just meet her, you  _ introduced them. _ You watched your secret forbidden movie channel together.”

“Well, next time we have a movie night we’ll make sure to invite you too.”

“Oh, so there’s gonna be a next time, is there?”

“I don’t know, Jules. We’re friends. I think. So yeah, maybe there will be a next time.”

Julia hummed. “Friends. That’s interesting.”

“And why is that?”

“Because from what Penny told me, it sounded like a date.”

“Yeah, Jules. Alice and I went on a date at your house. Penny was a very responsible chaperone. Just the right mix of respectful of our privacy and observant.”

“I’m just saying, you’ve been spending a lot of time together outside of work.”

“Can we talk about this later? I want to get in as much ice time as I can before I have to leave.”

“Why are you in such a rush?”

“I’ve got dinner plans tonight.”

“With Alice?” When Kady didn’t answer, Julia’s playful smile turned to shock. “Wait, seriously? Kady, that is definitely a date.”

“No, it isn’t. We’re going over plans for On the Same Page’s 40th Anniversary Party. It’s purely business.”

“Right. Uh huh. Sure. Where are you going?”

“Alice is making dinner at her house.”

“She’s making you a  _ private dinner for two _ and that’s  _ not _ a date?  _ Kady. _ ”

“I know! I’m trying not to think about it too much.”

Julia looked like she was about to argue, but there was a sharp rapping against the glass around the rink. Marina stood at the edge of the ice, looking pensive.

“Kady, I need to see you in my office. Now.” Shit. This only ever happened when Kady had fucked up. But she thought she had been doing so much better.

“Can it wait? I have plans tonight.”

“Cancel them. This is important.” Marina turned on her heel, knowing Kady would eventually follow. Kady glanced over at Julia, who shrugged helplessly. With a heavy heart, Kady walked off the ice and made a call she didn’t want to make.

“Let me start by saying how impressed I am with the progress you’ve made.”

“Ex… Excuse me?”

Kady sat in front of Marina’s desk, feeling completely out of her depth. She had come into the office expecting to get reamed out. She thought this might be the first time Marina had ever praised her. It was more than a little disconcerting.

“You’ve already made great progress with your image in the press. And I was impressed with your initiative volunteering with that youth hockey team.”

Kady felt a little guilty about that. She really had the most honest of intentions that day and she hated that it was being seen as a ploy to get back into the Goddesses’ good graces.

“That’s why I’m willing to consider lifting your suspension early.” If life had a soundtrack, the record would have scratched.

“Wait, what?”

“There are conditions, of course. And it wouldn’t be  _ immediate. _ But I think you’ve done a fair share of penance already.”

Kady’s brain shorted out and it took her a moment to respond. “Yes. Yes, of course. Whatever it takes. What do I need to do?”

“The team is hosting a dinner for all of our major donors and sponsors. You need to make an appearance, rub elbows, and make a public apology speech before the end of the night.”

“Sure, I can do that. I’ll kiss ass like you wouldn’t believe. When is it?”

“This Wednesday night. The event starts at 4 and I expect you to be early.”

The color drained from Kady’s face. “I can’t,” she said without thinking.

“Excuse me?”

“That’s the same night as the street fair for On the Same Page. The bookstore I’ve been working with,” she added at Marina’s blank look.

“I’m still not seeing the issue.”

“I’m supposed to be there. Everyone is expecting me.”  _ Alice is expecting me, _ she didn’t say.

“I’m offering you a surefire ticket back onto the team and you want to turn it down for some dumb little book fair?”

“It is  _ not _ a ‘dumb little book fair.’ It’s important.”

“This is a one time offer, Kady. What’s more important to you? Some bookstore… or your career?”

Marina didn’t realize how unfair of a question that was. How heavily those scales weighed.

“Jesus, you really have to make everything difficult, don’t you?” Marina pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a deep sigh. “Look, if you need some time to struggle with your little moral crisis, feel free. But let me make this very clear: If you don’t show up on Wednesday, you can forget about ever playing for this team again.”


	11. Chapter 11

Kady cancelled their dinner plans and Alice tried not to let it sting. Kady had at least sounded regretful on the phone, so whatever the reason was for the cancellation, it must have been important. So Alice tried not to dwell too long on her disappointment and used the opportunity to have a long overdue conversation. She packed up the food she had made and drove over to Nick’s house.

She found Nick reclining in a La-Z-Boy, Comet and Cupid curled up at his feet. He looked up in surprise when Alice entered the living room, eyeing the tupperware containers in her hands.

“Hey, Alice. What are you doing here? I thought you’d be busy planning that big party for the bookstore.”

“Margo is taking care of most of that,” she said, shifting her weight from foot to foot. Nick studied her for a moment then lifted himself out of the armchair with a grunt.

“All right. Whatever it is that you’ve got to say to me, it requires food. I’ll get some plates.”

Alice waited until they were sitting at the kitchen table and halfway through their reheated meal before she finally spoke.

“I need to talk to you about the store.”

Nick put down his fork and gave Alice his full attention. He didn’t seem surprised, which Alice in turn wasn’t surprised by. As much as Alice had tried to keep the bookstore’s problems a secret, Nick was still very much the store’s previous owner. And they hadn’t exactly been crawling with customers during his reign either. Still, she decided a full rundown of the truth was only fair.

“Margo and I haven’t just been working together for the anniversary party. She’s been trying to help me bring in business for On the Same Page. We’ve been really struggling, these past couple of months especially, and–” Embarrassingly, she felt tears begins pricking at her eyes again. “And if this party fails, I’ll have to give up the shop.”

“Oh, Alice.” Nick was at her side in a moment, arms wrapped tight around her and her head pillowed on her shoulder. And for some reason, that was the thing that did it. The tears finally flowed free, the full weight of the past few months hitting her like a semi truck on speed.

“I’m so sorry, Nick,” she sobbed. “I know how much On the Same Page means to you.”

He put his hands on her shoulders and pulled away so he could look her in the eye.

“Now you listen to me. That store was on the down and out long before you took over. I knew it wasn’t going to last forever. And maybe it was unfair of me to ask you to take over in the first place, knowing that. But I never expected you to be a miracle worker, Alice. You’ve done what you could. And I am so, so proud of the progress you made.”

“But it wasn’t enough. We might still lose the store.”

“We’ll cross that bridge if we get there. And until then, we’ll fight like hell to keep it in the family. Right?”

Alice wiped the tears from her face and sat up straighter in her chair. “Right.”

Kady wasn’t looking forward to this conversation, but she knew she had to tell Alice about Marina’s ultimatum. She had kept herself up all night sick with guilt over the decision. She couldn’t just walk away from the bookshop, from Alice. She didn’t want to. Not after everything they had done together. But the idea of giving up hockey for good left an empty, lonely hole in Kady’s gut. She knew if she refused Marina’s offer, she was out of chances. For good.

She just had to talk to Alice. Alice would know what to do. Maybe they could drag Margo down to the arena so she could explain to Marina that helping with the festival was a much better PR move than kissing ass at a stuffy dinner party.

Kady drove down to On the Same Page the next morning. She just needed to rip off the band-aid. Putting this off would only make it harder. If nothing else, Alice at least deserved to know before the actual festival that Kady wouldn’t be there. God, Kady wanted to be there.

When Kady entered the shop, Alice was nowhere in sight. The only workers seemed to be Quentin, who was manning the unusually busy counter, and a man dressed like Santa Claus who was entertaining a group of kids. Kady had never seen this man before, but someone she knew on sight that he was Nick Myra, the former owner of On the Same Page.

He was sitting in a plush red armchair, reading a picture book to the kids sitting clustered on the carpet before him. With the rush of customers checking out, it would likely be a while before Quentin was free to talk. So Kady made her way over to the reading circle. She leaned against one of the nearby shelves and watched as Nick finished reading a picture book called  _ Santa’s Husband. _ Once he finished the story, the kids all lined up to receive candy canes and wrapped presents that, if Kady had to guess, were even more books. She wondered if they did this every year, then made a mental note to chip in some of the funds next December (and maybe convince Alice to throw in a Hanukkah book or two).

Kady blinked in surprise at the thought. Did she plan on being around next December? Sure, she and Alice had been getting along much better recently. But that didn’t mean Alice would want her lingering around after the festival was over. Kady gave herself a moment to think it through as the last of the kids filed past Nick.

She wanted to be here, she realized. She wanted to be here for the next holiday season and for Book Chats every week and on random, unimportant days to pester Alice while she worked. She wanted more dinners with Alice’s friends and more afternoons binge-watching TV with Penny. Maybe next time, Alice could meet Julia too. She wanted to reschedule their canceled dinner plans, and this time it wouldn’t be about the festival or their PR contract. It would just be about them. Kady wanted there to be a  _ them. _ She was surprised by how unsurprising that realization was.

She shook herself out of it just in time for Nick’s story time to end. As the last of the families left, Kady found that Nick was already looking at her. He didn’t seem surprised to see her. Kady wondered if he knew who she was because of Alice or because he’s kept up with her stellar reputation over the years. She hoped it was the first.

He stayed seated in the armchair, leaning forward to rest an elbow on his knee, and Kady walked over to greet him.

“So you must be Kady,” he said as she approached. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

“Likewise. I don’t mean to cut the meeting short, but have you seen Alice? I have something I need to talk to her about.”

“She’s out with Margo running some last minute errands for the anniversary party. They won’t be back for a while yet.”

Shit. The anniversary party was only a few days away, Kady knew she couldn’t delay this conversation. Maybe she should just call or text. But the idea of doing this over the phone instead of face to face felt like the coward’s way out.

“Okay. I’ll be heading out then. Thanks.”

“I should be the one thanking you,” Nick said. “You’ve done a world of good since you started coming around.”

Kady shook her head. “That was all Alice and Margo. I’m just here to latch onto the good press.”

“I’m not talking about the shop. I’m talking about Alice. She’s seemed happier lately, even with all the stress on the business. She needs someone in her life who’s willing to challenge her when she gets stubborn, get her to step outside of her comfort zone every once in a while. The two of you make a good pair.”

“Oh, I don’t– I mean, we aren’t– Thank you. I think so too.”

Nick hummed in thought. “I can tell she’s been good for you, too. You’ve both grown a lot. You should be proud of the progress you’ve made, Kady. I know it hasn’t always been easy, but you’ve really stepped up.”

Kady was floored. Julia had said something along the same lines last night. But somehow this felt different. There was an impossibly knowing look in his eyes and for a wild moment, Kady wondered if she really was speaking to Santa. She shook off the impossible thought.

“Thanks. That’s kind of you to say. Listen, when Alice gets back could you ask her to meet me at the arena tonight?”

“I’ll pass along the message. And I wouldn’t worry too much about it, Kady. I’m sure you’ll make the right decision.” Kady was almost surprised but she was starting to realize she shouldn’t question Nick’s strange insights. “Happy Hanukkah.”

“Merry Christmas, Nick.”

Alice texted Kady as soon as Nick had passed on the message. Kady made her way to the arena, getting there well before Alice. She took a seat in the stands, staring out onto the ice.

Being on the ice always made Kady feel settled in a way few things ever did. Like she was finally home, like she belonged. But over the past couple weeks, she started feeling the same way whenever she was with Alice. Asking her to choosing between the two was like asking which leg she’d rather have cut off. But she knew it was a decision that must be made.

It didn’t take much longer for Alice to arrive. She spotted Kady in the stands almost immediately. She made her way through the aisles and took a seat next to Kady.

“It’s a nice view.”

“Yeah, it is.” Kady turned away from the ice to look at Alice. She looked more settled than she has in days. There was still an undercurrent of worry there but there was also an element on acceptance. Wherever the chips fell, she was ready to face it. “Marina offered me a way back onto the team. All I have to do is attend a special VIP event.”

“Really? Kady, that’s amazing!”

“It’s tomorrow night.”

“Oh.” Alice turned away from her, staring out at the ice for a moment. “You have to go. This is your chance, Kady. It’s everything you’ve been working towards.”

“What about the anniversary party? I’m all over the advertising. If I don’t show–”

“Please. You’re not so important that we can’t do it without you.”

“I know what you’re doing. You’re trying to piss me off so I walk away.” Alice refused to meet Kady’s gaze. She kept her eyes forward and her arms crossed. Kady reached over and freed one of Alice’s hands, holding it between her own. “You’re right, I have been working to get back on the team. But I’ve been working just as hard to save the shop. You and me, we’re a team now too. Right?”

Alice finally broke and turned to face Kady.

“Of course we are. But part of being a team is knowing when to let someone else take the shot.” She brushed her free hand along the side of Kady’s face. “Take your shot.”

Alice smiled, small but genuine. Then she pulled her hands away and left Kady sitting alone in the stands.


	12. Chapter 12

Alice was overwhelmed by the turnout for the 40th Anniversary Party. People from all over Fillory had come by, flooding the usually quiet street. Eliot was manning a donation jar outside of On the Same Page, and they’ve already had to change out the containers twice in just under three hours. Nick had revived his role of Santa and was walking through the street handing out candy canes and business cards.

Alice and Quentin hadn’t been able to experience much of the street fair itself. They’d spent most of the afternoon dealing with the wild influx of customers. It was more business than they’d gotten the rest of the month combined. Alice managed to escape the fray for a moment when she saw Margo walk into the shop, carry a large tote bag.

“Congrats, kitty cat. The night’s not even over, and it’s already a huge success.”

“Thank you so much. We couldn’t have done any of this without you.”

“Well, I am pretty amazing. But don’t sell yourself short. All this–” she gestured around the shop “–this was just as much you and Kady as it was me.”

At the mention of Kady, Alice’s mood dropped. She pushed it to the back of her mind.

Kady had called before she left for the VIP event to wish Alice luck, and Alice shared the sentiment. She knew they had made the right decision. It still hurt every time Alice’s eyes went searching for Kady without her permission, only to feel disappointed all over again when she wasn’t there.

“What’s in the tote?” Alice asked, hoping to change the subject.

Kady had one last surprise for you. She was waiting for today to tell you, and now the job’s been passed on to me.” Margo reached into the tote bag and pulled out a forest green scarf. On the Same Page’s logo was embroidered on one end of the scarf. Alice held it in her hands, running her fingers over the embroidery.

“These are beautiful. Did she have these made to hand out at the fair?”

Margo shook her head. “Flip it over.”

Alice did as she was told. On the other side of the scarf, the logo for the Brakebills Goddesses was stitched into the fabric.

“I don’t understand.”

“Kady arranged for On the Same Page to sponsor the Goddesses’ next home game. They’re going to give these scarves away to the fans and your store’s name is going to be broadcast on every channel airing the game.

Alice was stunned. She couldn’t even comprehend the kind of impact that would have on the store.

“Wow, that’s… That’s amazing. I don’t even know what to say. Thank you.”

“Save your thanks for Kady. It was all her idea.”

Alice started to return the scarf to the bag but Margo stopped her.

“Keep that one. We’ve got plenty more.”

The VIP dinner was excruciatingly boring. Julia and Penny had come with her, but it did little to solve the problems. They spent several hours schmoozing with the slimiest of the team’s donors. No matter the conversation, Kady found her thoughts constantly drifting back to Alice.

How was the anniversary going? Would it be enough? Had Margo told her about the sponsorship yet? Maybe if Kady was lucky, this snoozefest would wrap up early enough for her to at least catch the tail end of Book Chat.

 _Yeah right,_ she thought. If there was one thing these dullards loved more than talking about themselves it was hearing other people wax poetic about how amazing they were. This was a night entirely dedicated to both and they were going to milk it for everything it was worth.

She was pretending to listen to Irene McAllister droning on about some unethical business practice that had saved her thousands on labor costs when she saw Marina approach. She jumped at the chance to excuse herself.

“The night’s going very well,” Marina said when they were out of earshot. “Everyone is very pleased with your behavior. Especially the VP. All that’s left is your apology speech and you’re home free.”

Thank God. At least this night won’t have been for nothing.

“Speaking of which,” she continued, “you’re on in thirty minutes. I hope you’re ready.”

Marina left to mingle and Kady fled to Julia and Penny before anyone else could stop her.

“How are you feeling, miss debutante?” Penny asked.

“Ha. Ha. Ha.” She took the wine of glass he was holding and downed all of it in one gulp.

“Come on, it can’t be that bad,” Julia said. Kady glowered at her. “Okay, so it is definitely that bad. But at least it’s almost over. Kind of.”

“I’m wasting my time here making meaningless small talk when I could be in Fillory, helping Alice with the festival.”

“You’re not wasting time, you’re getting your career back.”

Julia and Penny shared a worried look.

“Kady,” Julia started. “You’ve made a lot of progress. And we’re very proud of you. And I really, really want to play with you again. But at the end of the day, you have to make the decision that feels right. And not because everyone tells you it’s the right choice, but because you really _feel_ it.”

“Thank you, Dr. Phil.”

“I’m serious. I love you, and I trust you to make the right call.” She glanced over to Marina, who was standing by the podium and tapping on an imaginary watch. “It’s time to make that call, babe.”

Alice stood by the short set of stairs that led to the stage, psyching herself up.

“Hey,” Quentin. “If you want me to come up there with you, or take over, I won’t mind.”

“No, it’s okay. I’m actually excited,” she said gleefully. Quentin looked delighted and surprised.

“I feel like, I’m… I’m done making excuses,” she continued, thinking of the conversation she’d had with Kady in the library. “It’s time to stop hiding and start living, you know?”

“Atta girl,” Nick said. He clapped a hand over Alice’s shoulder. “Break a leg, honey.”

Kady stood at the podium, gazing out at all the blank faces before her. She had rehearsed what she wanted to say many times over the past two days. All of that flew right out the window the second she had walked away from Julia. It was time to improvise.

“Hello, everyone. I won’t bother to introduce myself. If you’re here tonight you probably know who I am, but not for the right reasons.”

There were a few chuckles from the crowd.

"It's no secret that I've made more than my fair share of mistakes over the years. And not all of those mistakes have been exclusive to hockey. During all of my past suspensions and grace periods... I never really learned anything. I didn't change. I just did the bare minimum of penance to get back onto the team. I was just going through the motions. But this time was different. This time, I really did change. And it wasn't because I wanted to get back on the team. It's because I just wanted to change, to grow.

"Hockey has always been an integral part of my life. And it always will be. I am so, so grateful to have been given this opportunity. But part of changing meant my priorities changed too. The truth is, I had a prior engagement tonight. I made a promise to someone very important to me. And if I don't uphold that promise, then I didn't really learn anything. I'd just be going through the motions again. So I'm sorry, but I have to say goodbye for now. There's somewhere else I need to be tonight."

Kady stepped away from the podium and made a beeline for the door. Marina cut her off before she could get far.

"Are you seriously doing this right now?"

"I am. I meant what I said up there. What I'm doing is the right thing. I'm tired of fucking around and never getting any better. This is what I have to do and I'm willing to face the consequences."

Marina stood there for a moment, silently fuming. Then, she stepped aside.

"I'll be expecting you in my office tomorrow morning so we can discuss your reinstatement on the team."

"Thank you, Marina."

Marina rolled her eyes and started walking towards the podium. "I have to go do damage control. Again. Go do the right thing or whatever."

Alice climbed onto the stage and looked out over the crowd. It was an overwhelming sight. She took a deep breath, focused on a point in the distance, and began her speech.

“Hello, everyone. My name is Alice Quinn. I’m the current owner of On the Same Page. Thank you all so much for coming out tonight. You have no idea how much it means to us.”

There was a round of appreciative applause of whoops from the audience.

“On the Same Page hosts a weekly book club that we call Book Chats. As a thank you for being here, we’re going to hosting a Book Chat right here with all of you.

“Over the past few weeks, I’ve been having a ‘close to home’ kind of adventure. Getting involved with the community, finally becoming a part of this amazing town… It’s one of the best adventures I could ever hope to be a part of. And it’s in that spirit of adventure I’d like to introduce tonight’s book. How many of you have read _A Wrinkle in Time_?” A predictably large number of hands were raised in the crowd. “I’m so happy to hear that. Because this is one of my very favorite books.”

“You say that about every book,” said a voice from the back of the stage. And then Kady was beside her. Alice couldn’t help the surprised smile that took over her face.

“What are you doing here? What about the team?”

“I realized it was time to work on my life outside of hockey. Besides, I couldn’t miss this. Pretty much the entire party was my idea, so…”

“Oh, was it?”

“Yeah, it turns out I’m really good at running a business. Maybe I should consider it post-retirement.”

“Maybe you should.” Alice and Kady had stepped closer to each other, though she didn’t remember making the decision. “If you’re done considering your career prospects, we should get back to the book.”

“That sounds like a good idea. Because this is one story I don’t want to miss.”

Her arms were around Kady’s shoulders in a second. Kady wrapped her own arms around Alice’s waist, lifting her ever so slightly off the stage. This was far from Alice’s first kiss. But it felt like the first one that mattered. She was distantly aware of the crowd cheering in the background, but she couldn’t focus long on anything besides the way Kady’s lips moved against her own.

They pulled away eventually but stayed in each other’s space.

“So,” Kady said, wiping a smudge of lipstick from the corner of Alice’s mouth. “ _A Wrinkle in Time._ ”

“Right.” Alice straightened herself out, cleared her throat, and turned back to the crowd. “Let’s get started.”


	13. Chapter 13

It took a while to coordinate holiday arrangements.

Kady had been celebrating Hanukkah with Julia and Penny since college. Even when they were in different states, they would take time off and fly out to see each other for the holidays. Alice has spent the past several Christmases with Nick and his dogs. They usually stopped in to visit Quentin and Eliot before the night was over. The question this year was whose house was big enough to merge both celebrations.

Nick had offered up his house almost immediately but it was kindly shot down. His house was spacious in theory but it was so crammed full of knick-knacks and kitsch, it would be nearly impossible to fit everyone in. Eventually, they decided to have Julia and Penny host, which came with the added bonus of already having both Christmas and Hanukkah decorations set up.

So on the night of December 25, they all gathered around a simulated fireplace at the Wicker-Adiyodi household with mugs of cocoa, bellies full of sugar cookies and kugel. For the first time in a long time, Alice felt like she truly had a reason to celebrate the holidays. The future of On the Same Page was secured. They had raised more than enough money to pay off any debts the store owed. And between the anniversary party and the giveaway at the Goddesses’ game, the bookstore had drawn in so many new customers that Alice was sure they wouldn’t have to worry about it for a while. Kady was set to rejoin the Goddesses for their next game. Alice promised she'll be there watching and Kady promised a view from the suites reserved for the players’ significant others. And that, that was still thrilling. Everything between them felt shiny and new. Alice still felt her heart skip (as cheesy as she felt for thinking so) every time Kady reached for her hand. Every kiss still left her breathless.

Kady had disappeared into the kitchen a while ago with Margo to refresh their drinks. When Margo returned alone, giving Alice a surreptitious wink on the way back to her seat, Alice decided to go looking for her. Kady was at the kitchen counter, adding Kahlua to her cocoa. She didn’t seem at all surprised when Alice walked in. In fact, Kady had another mug waiting for her on the counter. One sip told Alice it was similarly spiked.

Alice knew she had been lured in here for a reason. She leaned against Kady’s side, waiting for an explanation.

“I have another surprise for you,” Kady said. Alice hummed into her mug. They had already exchanged presents earlier in the night. She wondered what was so private about this one that Kady wanted to wait until they were alone.

Kady pulled an envelope out from behind the toaster. Alice opened it carefully, letting its contents slide into her hand. It took her almost a full minute to process that she was holding two tickets to Portugal, dated for the upcoming spring.

“Now, technically,” Kady said, “that’s only part of the surprise. There’s also a hotel room in Sintra with our name on it. The hockey season will be over by then. And On the Same Page should be doing well enough that you can take a vacation without worrying too much.”

Alice still hasn’t said anything and Kady was starting to get nervous. “If it’s too much, I can always–”

Alice cut her off with a kiss. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”

Alice was practically glowing by the time they returned to the living room. Curled up under a blanket with Kady, surrounded by her friends and family, this was definitely the best Christmas she’s ever had. And she had a feeling they would only keep getting better.


End file.
